Welcome to Apartment Life, an online discussion of the Washington area rental market, featuring Post columnist Sara Gebhardt.
In
her monthly exchanges with the audience, Gebhardt discusses rental issues and lifestyle matters.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
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Sara Gebhardt: Hello, everyone. As usual, we will chat about all things rental-related today. Feel free to query away!
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RE: Rabbit ears: From last month's chat ... rabbit ears DO work on my TV even though it's basement-level! I just had to plug them into the antenna socket. No more missing my morning dose of Regis & Kelly!
Sara Gebhardt: That is great news for everyone in the land of rabbit ears, though my guess is not everyone in a basement apartment will have your luck.
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Columbia Heights, D.C.: Last week I found a note slipped under my apartment door notifying me of a "routine" inspection taking place on Thursday. I didn't think much of it. When they came around to conduct the inspection in the morning, I was still there -- and I was floored to learn that they were inspecting for bedbugs! That's revolting! They didn't find any in my apartment, but still, there's an infestation in the building. I just shelled out $300 for a new mattress -- what's the deal with this? Should I sleep in long johns?
Sara Gebhardt: Do you like to sleep in long johns? If the inspection didn't turn up bedbugs, you don't have much to worry about. Have you asked your landlord how the inspection came about, or which apartment(s) were experiencing bugs in the bed?
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Washington, D.C.: I live in the basement apartment of a row house. Our bedroom is directly below the kitchen of the upstairs apartment, and the noise from their kitchen can be heard loudly in our bedroom, especially footsteps and slamming cupboard doors. The upstairs tenants go in the kitchen late at night (after midnight) nearly every night and the noise always wakes me up.
I have asked over and over for them to be quiet, and they always say they will "try harder" but nothing changes. The landlord paid $500 to have insulation put above the ceiling of our bedroom, but it didn't make any difference at all.
I am frustrated at not being able to get a good night's sleep, and my health is suffering. The noise is loud enough that earplugs don't help. We get the same noise in the living room, so sleeping on the couch doesn't help either.
I appreciate that they should have the right to go in the kitchen whenever they want, but I should also have the right to be able to sleep in my bedroom. Do you think it would be unreasonable to ask that they not go in their kitchen after 11pm?
I can't think of any other solutions to this problem, other than moving, but if you have any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.
Sara Gebhardt: Well, it seems as if they do care about how their noise affects you, since they paid to insulate the problem area. I'd say that it is unreasonable to ask them not to use their kitchen after 11. How about ask them to take their shoes off? Unfortunately, sometimes noise problems are difficult to solve in settings like this, and moving is probably the best option. Either that or invest in a good set of earplugs. Plus, your landlords would likely understand if you had to leave before your lease term is up.
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RE: Rabbit ears: Ha! I live on a second floor apartment with beautiful floor to ceiling windows ... plenty of access to the outside airwaves. My rabbit ears don't work no matter what I try! I'm amused that they'll work in someone's basement.
Hey, I shouldn't be watching TV anyway!
Sara Gebhardt: No doubt! Last month, renters advised "rabbit ears" resident to try the local cable company for better reception on the local channels. Apparently there are low rates for below-basic cable.
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D.C.: Hi, I am having a VERY hard time finding a place to rent for me and my dog -- he is 60. Do you know of any resources or apartment complexes in D.C. or Va. that rent to people with dogs? Thank you.
Sara Gebhardt: Sixty in dog years, right? Any dog/ pet owners in the crowd have suggestions?
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Washington, D.C.: I don't know my next-door neighbor well -- though we've talked a few times, it's always been in the hall or in the lobby or other "public" domains. I was late for a date the other night when I scrambled out the door and saw him sitting in the hallway, locked out of his apartment and waiting for the landlord to let him in. I felt bad leaving him there, so I let him into my apartment -- even though I wasn't there. In retrospect, I think I might have been impulsive and dumb to do so (though nothing was taken). What do you think ... neighborly or naive?
Sara Gebhardt: I'd say naive. You're lucky nothing too serious happened, you know, like he stole your rabbit ears or something. You could have offered him use of your phone or perhaps given him a snack or a magazine to read while he waited.
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Washington, D.C.: I moved out of my apartment on March 5th. I gave my roommate two months notice starting in February, meaning that I paid both February and March's rent. I told her that I had no problem with her new roommate moving in sometime in March as long as this girl paid me a pro-rated amount based on when she moves in. The new roommate moved in on Sunday, March 6th. I brought up the money aspect of our agreement to my old roommate and she has consistently avoided my calls since (responding to e-mails and phone calls, but conveniently ignores the money issue). If it comes down to it, what type of recourse do I have to collect on this money? I don't think that it's fair that I would have to fund this new person's first month in the apartment. The rental situation at the apartment was month to month. Is this a small claims case?
Sara Gebhardt: If you don't have the agreement in writing, you are going to have a hard time recovering the money. From your question, I'd gather that your new roommate didn't get on the lease, and that building management was not privy to these changes. Anyway, if it comes down to it, it probably would become a small claims issue, but again, without written proof it might be hard to get that money back.
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RE: 60 -- not age: 60 probably means 60 pounds...
Sara Gebhardt: Well, either way, any dog-owners out there with suggestions, please chime in!
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RE: Dogs: There's an apartment complex in Silver Spring, a couple blocks from the metro that will rent to people with large dogs (I'm assuming the 60 is 60 lbs). It's called Falkland Chase ... never lived there, so I can't give any opinions on it. I just know someone with large dogs who lives there.
Sara Gebhardt: First dog suggestion.
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Washington, D.C. : Sarah ... help! We live in a beautiful apartment in N.W. The building is very old so there are problems with sound, etc. The people below us brought a piano and played it at night! The sound carries so well they might as well have been playing in my bedroom. The piano players moved out but now there is a new problem. The people who moved in smoke a lot. My apt. vents are seeping smoky air. What can I do before my clothes and linens start to smell? My husband and I are not smokers and don't know people who smoke so the smell is very bad for us.
Sara Gebhardt: First you should close all gaps between your apartment and theirs. These are such things as cracks in and around electrical outlets and vents. Ask your building maintenance worker to help you identify the holes that would allow smoke to come in. If you're unable to solve the problem to your liking after doing some work to block it out, you could also ask to move to another apartment in the building.
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Washington, D.C.: I'm in the process of moving into a loft-style apartment with a living room ceiling over 20 feet. What decorating suggestions do you have to make the impact of my furniture (dark red scheme) stand out amidst such a lofty room?
Sara Gebhardt: With high ceilings, most decorators will tell you to make sure to use the upper ceiling space. Long drapes, artwork, or a rug with a hint of your furniture's color in it paintings may bring the focus to your furniture.
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Windsor, Ontario: Do you find it a waste of time paying rent for something that you will never own?
Sara Gebhardt: Many people do not find it a waste at all, and actually enjoy paying rent so that they don't have to deal with the headaches of ownership. This is a debatable topic, but apartment living is a great thing for lots of people.
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Washington, D.C.: Do you know if a landlord can keep part of a security deposit in order to fix something, and then not fix it? In my case, the landlord took money to replace some carpet for a stain (which I admitted to), but then did not actually replace the carpet.
I've been trying to find the answer to this, and no one seems to know. On the one hand, there was a stain that I caused, and admitted to, and he seems entitled to some money to fix the problem. He showed me estimates from carpet stores that seem genuine. On the other hand, he has rented out the place again -- the stain was basically under the only place to put a bed -- and he has told me he doesn't intend to replace the carpet now. He says he'll do it when the new tenant moves out. He feels he can just keep the money. I think that he shouldn't be able to pocket the money if he isn't going to do the repairs promptly. In fact, he may never do them! Am I being unfair? (We are talking about $600.)
Sara Gebhardt: Your landlord needs to use the money to repair the carpet. He is legally supposed to provide you a receipt of the work done... not of an estimate for the work.
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Washington, D.C.: I have a question about utilities. Background ... I got a notice from Washington Gas saying they would shut off the cooking gas in my apartment unless I called them to set up an account. (WashGas sent the letter, I assume, after I had them come check out a gas leak.) I thought gas was included in the rent, but I checked my lease and it's not. I found out that the building's owner never has gas or electric cut off, though, so unless you sign up for the service, you can basically get it for free and no one would notice. Is this normal for a big building? Seems sloppy to me -- and a warning to read my lease more closely next time. D'oh!
Sara Gebhardt: Usually, if gas is not included in the rent in, you'd not be able to use it until you turn it on with the gas company. But I guess not all buildings go through the same effort to set up this kind of system. In any case, since you were found out, you'll have to pay for your gas as your lease stipulates.
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Blacksburg, Va.: What if you live in a big complex that has its own repair staff? Can you still demand a receipt for repair work done then? I am highly concerned about my complex taking money and then not fixing things.
Sara Gebhardt: Yes, you are entitled to a receipt for the work done with your security deposit.
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RE: Dog: Not in D.C. or Va., but a couple of the Avalon communities in northern Mont. Co. (Gaithersburg and Rockville) rent to people with dogs. We have 2 -- a 70lb. and a puppy that is 40lbs. now ... will probably be 55 or so. The only condition is that you have to be either on the ground floor or over a garage. And there is a monthly pet fee in addition to the pet deposit.
Sara Gebhardt: More pet tips.
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RE: Priced out of the market: "Do you find it a waste of time paying rent for something that you will never own?"
Yep, and I might as well get to love it sooner or later in the last of double digit housing cost percentage increases, and very low percentage salary increases.
Sara Gebhardt: Thanks for your opinion.
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RE: Waste of time: Did the person from Ontario mean waste of time or waste of money? It's definitely not a waste of time. I don't have to be there when there's a repair or wait for a repairman to show up, etc. As for a waste of money, that's a topic open for debate that is a waste of my time. To each his own.
Sara Gebhardt: Another comment for Ontario.
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Blacksburg, Va.: Sara,
I'm a college student living with two roommates in an off campus apartment. Recently the three of us changed apartment complexes. When we moved out of the old place, we turned in our keys individually. I had a key to the complex's workout facility, which I turned in as well. The employee at the complex to whom I handed my keys even made a comment that she was impressed I remembered to hand in my workout room key, as most people forgot. A couple of months later I got a letter from the management of the old apartment charging me $50 for a non-returned workout room key. When I tried to find the lady to whom I had turned in my keys, it turns out she was a part-timer who no longer works for the management company. So other than my word I have no proof that I turned in my key. Do I have any recourse?
Sara Gebhardt: I guess you didn't happen to get a receipt for your keys. Let this be a lesson to everyone to ask for receipts for just about everything so that you can maintain a paper trail of your rental life. You do have recourse, though it's just your word against the company's. You can refuse to pay the fee, tell them the story, and see what happens before taking any other action. If you suspect your former roommates didn't turn their keys in, you could also ask them about it in case there's a chance they still have them and can help you resolve the situation.
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RE: Dogs: I second the vote for Falkland Chase in Silver Spring. My sister lived there for several years with her 2 dogs (they were small, but several people had big dogs -- even multiple big dogs per apartment). I dog sat for her several times and the people who live there are friendly and obviously pet friendly too! They even ask each other to pet sit sometimes (I cat sat the neighbor's cat one time while I was dog sitting my sister's dogs). Good luck in your search!
Sara Gebhardt: Wow, pet sitting is quite neighborly, I'd say!
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Washington, D.C.: It seems that my fellow 20-somethings are all talking about buying property (when they're not yakking about upcoming weddings, that is). I'm 24, I've been renting for two years, I've got no more than $3,000 saved up -- and I'm starting to feel like I'm being fiscally irresponsible by not investing my money in an apartment, even though I clearly can't afford it -- and I have no idea how long I'll be rooted in D.C. At what point do I need to start thinking beyond rentals?
Sara Gebhardt: You need to start thinking beyond rentals when you are ready to think beyond rentals. There's no proper age or stage to own property in. You'll know when you are financially and psychologically ready for the commitment of owning. Wait until you know where you'd like to set some roots, and remember that renting is a good solution in the meantime, as you don't have to worry about unexpected repair costs or a mortgage, etc. It would be fiscally irresponsible to jump into something you're not ready for, just because your friends are doing it.
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RE: Pet owner: Go to the Humane Society Web site (or call them) -- they have lots of pet friendly apartment contacts, and they can help out a lot. Try this Web site: http://www.washhumane.org/petfriendlyhousing.htm
Sara Gebhardt: Another good pet tip. Thanks!
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RE: Dogs:
Since we're aiming more and more out of D.C., Columbia Town Center in -- you guessed it -- Columbia will rent to "big" dogs. The Camden Marc isn't a bad commute either. I work on the hill, though.
Sara Gebhardt: Thanks for all the pet tips. There are plenty of homes for big (or old) dogs.
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Anonymous: My boyfriend and I share an apartment. The lease is in my name only (but says that both of us are permitted to live there). My boyfriend gives me a check for half the rent every month, and then I write one check to the landlord for the full amount.
Someone at my bank just told me that I need to count the money my boyfriend gives me towards rent as income on my taxes, since his name is not on the lease.
This cannot possibly be true. Do you know anything about this?
Sara Gebhardt: I'm not an accountant, but it is my understanding that it is only when you own a place and are collecting rent in it that it should be counted as income ("rental income).
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Owning vs. Rent: I have a friend who bought a house at age 23 ... and now is desperate to sell it so that she can move to the city! She hates all the upkeep (lawn, house repair, etc.) and all of the added expense that she didn't realize would occur with home ownership. Don't do it unless you are feeling ready and confident in your finances and your love of fixing things/depending on you and only you!
Sara Gebhardt: Exactly my point. Thanks.
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Washington, D.C.: I live in a high-rise apartment building, run by a large local management company. The building recently closed the package pick-up room, which was run by an independent employee for a few hours in the mornings and evenings. The building manager has been staying late to let people in to get their packages, and she mentioned they were thinking of just delivering them to apartments by unlocking the doors and leaving them inside. I remarked that I didn't like the idea of my door being opened when I was not around, and she got very defensive about how hard it is to find an employee to staff the valet room in the evening and otherwise they'd have to only allow packages to be picked up during business hours.
Honestly, I'd rather be an hour late to work because of getting my mail at 9 a.m. than have no notice non-emergency entries to my apartment. My lease specifies my apartment can be entered only for emergencies, if I've called in a work order or for noticed maintenance and HUD inspections. What actions would you recommend taking if the manager attempted to institute a policy of opening doors to deliver packages? I would not grant permission for management to do this in my unit, but I suspect the manager would argue that it would be administratively burdensome to allow tenants to opt out.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Sara Gebhardt: You should definitely ask that the management not enter your apartment for package delivery and instead inform you when you need to pick up a package from the office. A landlord is supposed to give reasonable notice as it is to enter your apartment, so if things go the way you suspect they will, you could seek help and file a complaint with your local housing office.
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Arlington, Va.: Our lease is up in July and my husband and I are looking to move up to a better space. We have been looking and things like the Archstone properties and others at that level. Thing is, both our credit is not great. We have never been late on rent in the 4 years at our current property and our income is great for the rent level we are looking at. What are our chances of getting approved for a new place?
Sara Gebhardt: Your chances are good if you have two incomes that can clearly cover the rent. Having good rental history (references from former landlords, proof that you pay your rent on time without fail) will help you.
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Millersville, Md.: Hi,
I vacated my apartment when my lease was up on December 6, 2004. I got a letter from my apartment management, titled STATMENT OF DEPOSIT stating that I am due a refund out of my security deposit and I should be expecting it soon. I called the office on or about December 11, 2004 to find out when to expect a check from them, and I was told a couple of weeks. I have been calling the office, faxing them letters -- I even went there to demand my check, they kept on telling me that the problem lies with the management company in Boston named Dolben Management. I called Boston and I was told that my name is not even in their system, that I should call my apartment manager to fax them a letter, which they did, and now Boston is telling me a different story about a computer problem. I really do not know what is happening and I need my money. Please help! Please advise me! I am a single parent and I need my money. Thank you so much.
Sara Gebhardt: Write a letter to each branch of the company (D.C., Boston) outlining the trouble you have had recovering your security deposit. Suggest that you'll file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or seek legal action if you do not get your deposit back. And if you don't, you will have to do that in order to recover it. Good luck.
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Sara Gebhardt: Well, that's the end of our session today. I look forward to answering more questions next month in this space. Feel free to e-mail me at gebhardts@washpost.com if I didn't get to your question, or if you have any apartment/rental-related issues. Thanks for joining me!
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