Apartment Life

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: Good afternoon. I hope everyone has had a good month since our last discussion on all things rental related. Let's get to the questions!

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Washington, D.C.: The tenant's association in my building has filed some kind of class action complaint with the city against the management of our building for rent increases and other changes they do not like.
Some of these people have lived in their apartments for decades and got notices of big increases. The management also did a huge renovation of the lobby and things and the association heads and long-time resident are moaning they were not involved in the process.
They are giving slips to everyone in the building asking whether or not we want to be a part of the complaint, which they would not let us read or see before it was filed.
I have no idea what to do and am nervous getting involved would just mark our apartment for more increases in the future...what do you think?
Also, this is an apartment building, not condos, we rent them...how much does the management company even have to work with a tenant's association? I mean i would have liked to see a sample of what the lobby was going to look like, but since I do not have a stake in the property, what difference does it make?

Sara Gebhardt: I wrote a recent column about tenant associations. Generally, if you agree with the complaints the association is making, it will not hurt you to become a part of it. You should, however, insist that you understand the complaints the association is filing. In D.C., often because of rent control laws, tenants do have a say to some extent about changes made to their buildings. (Building owners can petition to increase the rent based on capital improvement needs, etc.)

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Washington, D.C.: My fellow Tenants Association members and I want to have a holiday party/fundraiser, but our units are too small and there's no common space in the building, besides the laundry room and the lobby. What type of place should I look for that could hold 20-50 people?

Sara Gebhardt: Maybe a nearby community center or school. Anyone else have ideas?

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Washington, D.C.: Are there any 2 bed/2 bath apartments that are within walking distance to the metro (just about anywhere on the line) and are affordable (under $1400)? Given the high price of metro parking, I'm trying to move somewhere in walking distance, but it seems like an impossible task. Granted, perhaps I'm being a bit picky in wanting a dishwasher and a washer/dryer, but I feel like this ideal apartment must exist somewhere. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Sara Gebhardt: Have you gone out to look for apartments that meet your criteria? You should check out different neighborhoods off of the metro. And you may also have to change your criteria and decide which you think is worse: paying for parking at a metro stop or or using a common laundry room.

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Washington, D.C.: My father owns a duplex in Northwest D.C. that is currently rented to two families. He plans to sell it next year for more than what I probably could afford to buy, but I do want to make him a reasonable offer for the place and buy it myself. Is there a possible scenario in which I could buy the place from him and offer some incentives other than paying full price for the place? He wants to work with me, but if I could offer some form of tax savings or incentives as a potential buyer, I think he would be more comfortable selling me the place.

Sara Gebhardt: I am not a financial planner, though maybe someone out there has some suggestions for you.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: My husband and I live in a small, two-story
apartment building, on a street full of similar
buildings. One of the tenants in our building (and
we have figured out which one) routinely leaves
grocery carts in front of the building. This looks
really trashy and is not typical of the
neighborhood; other buildings do not landscape
with abandoned carts. Is there a diplomatic way to
ask this person to stop her practice? There may
also be a language problem, as earlier
encounters suggest she may not speak much
English.

Sara Gebhardt: A diplomatic way might be to offer to help her with her groceries next time and/or offer wheel the cart back for her since she's got her hands full. Then you can make a nice but firm comment about how the building looks so much better without grocery carts in front of it. And perhaps then you could add a question--such as--are we even allowed to leave carts in front of this building? If her English isn't good enough to grasp these subtle hints, then try to find a way to communicate this. And if that doesn't work, ask your landlord about his/her view of the carts and let the landlord handle it.

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Washington, D.C.: What can I do about a hissing radiator? I live in an old building and can't control the heat, and the thing hisses and whines all night. What can I do to make it stop?

Sara Gebhardt: Hiss and whine back? Unfortunately, old radiators are difficult to control. About the best you can do about the noise is ask your maintenance worker to take a look at it and see if it's working properly. Otherwise, get out those earplugs.

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Washington, D.C.: I have a day-long meeting today (ugh), so here's my question. It's a two-parter:

I live in an apartment building managed by a company that owns several other apartment buildings in Washington. Do companies such as this one ever let tenants end their leases early without penalty if they move to another company-owned property?

Also, I have started to notice an infestation of bugs in my apartment. What am I typically responsible for, and what can I reasonably expect management to take care of?

Sara Gebhardt: In fact, there is at least one big company in the DC area that allows tenants to move from building to building without the problems of lease-breaking. You should ask your landlord about the company rules, and if this property management company does not have that as a rule, propose it.

As for the bug infestation, you are responsible for making sure your apartment is clean. If you're not causing the bug infestation, then your landlord should help you take care of it.

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Washington, D.C. (14th and U N.W.): Is it my imagination, or is it much harder to find an apartment in a D.C. building that allows pets than in the suburbs?

Sara Gebhardt: It's not your imagination. There are buildings in DC that allow pets, just not as many. Looking into renting privately-owned condos, townhouses or houses may aid your search.

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Richmond, Va.: I live in a newly-renovated garden-style apartment (although I live in Richmond, the building is quite similar to the two-story brick apartment buildings that are all around Arlington). It is a nice building, reasonably priced, and the other tennants seem to be young profesionals, except one. I have not seen the tennant yet, but I can smell marijuana coming from the apartment when I come home to walk my dog at lunchtime. Would complaining to my landlord do any good? I know that what happens behind that door is my neighbor's business, but it's kind of hard to ignore.

Sara Gebhardt: Anyone who has concerns with the place they rent and call home should share those concerns with his or her landlord. Everyone always asks if it will "do any good" to talk to neighbors or landlords. It certainly doesn't do more good to let frustrations fester, grow and build, does it?

That said, you may want to ask your landlord if you can switch apartments (if that helps you avoid the marijuana smell).

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Chicago, Ill.: My boyfriend and I live in a small one room apartment, but he wants to bring his mother to live with us. At this time we can't afford a larger apartment, what do I do? Since I really don't want to have to share such a small apartment with his mother as well.

Sara Gebhardt: Interesting dilemma. Why does your boyfriend want your mother to move into such a small space? Is it just a temporary thing? Perhaps you could find another place to live for the short term to give your boyfriend and his mother some more room. You could at least offer this solution up to your boyfriend and see who he chooses: you or his mother. That might give you some extra insight about the kind of future you two have.

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RE: Party rooms: Many churches will rent out their facilities for organizations, at nominal rates.

Sara Gebhardt: A suggestion for the tenant association looking for a party room.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Sara,
Little help for a fellow Vike (97 here)?
My lease ends New Year's day. My current roommate wants to go month to month after that for 2-3 months while she finds a place to buy. Around that time (Feb/March) another friend from HS is going to be moving down to D.C. and wants to move in -- lucky for me. My question is what are the D.C. rules for going month to month after a lease is up? How much can the landlord raise rent/how often, etc?
Thanks for any advice.

Sara Gebhardt: Always nice to hear from Vikes. Check your lease to see if anything is in place for the month-to-month thing. Usually, if nothing is written, your lease will automatically go month-to-month after the initial term is up. Your landlord may require you to put the new roommate on the lease and sign another 12-month lease.

Sara Gebhardt: Many DC properties are subject to the rent control law, which regulates how much rent landlords can charge and when they can raise rents. If you live in a rent control building, landlords can raise rent once every 180 days, or
twice a year, but only if the Housing Regulation Administration grants petitioning building owners a rent ceiling increase.

(To find out if you live in a rent control bldg, call the Housing Regulation Administration at 202-442-4600.)

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Washington, D.C.: Sara, I have been renting an apartment at
Dupont Circle for about a year under a
1-year lease that goes month-to-month in
January. My apartment is being sold to a
new owner who wants to continue renting
it as an investment, and my lease is
being transferred as part of the sale. How
insulated am I from being evicted, rent
increases, new lease conditions, and
going through another application/deposit
process?

Sara Gebhardt: It depends on the new owner. If you want a smooth transition, perhaps you should ask your current owners to give you a good recommendation and then approach the new owners about continuing your tenancy along the lines of the old rules. It's better to find out now if the new owners plan to charge a lot more rent, anyway. If your lease is being transferred as part of the sale, you may not have too many troubles with the transition.

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Re: Pet-friendly D.C. Apartments: There is a publication that lists pet-friendly apartments in the DC-area. I've forgotten the name, but the Dupont Circle Veterinary Clinic has copies of it. The publication is free, and I imagine it can be found at any vet's office.

That said, I lived in two pet-friendly apartment buildings while I lived in D.C. The Cambridge and The Belvedere, which happen to be across the street from one another at 13th and Mass. Avenue. The Cambridge allowed both small dogs and cats. The Belvedere allowed cats.

Sara Gebhardt: Pet advice for the D.C. renter.

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Re: Richmond: I can't believe you told Richmond THEY have to move - dope is still illegal, isn't it? Why should the lawbreaker get to stay in their apartment and make someone else move? I'd talk to the landlord. You don't know what kind of person a dope smoker may hang out with, either. Would you give the same advice if the offender was cooking rock or making meth? I don't think so.

Sara Gebhardt: It seemed to me that Richmond was a little timid about even approaching the subject with the landlord. OF course he/she shouldn't have to move because of illegal activity in the building. But the landlord needs to know about it to do something about it, and if the landlord doesn't do anything about it and Richmond is too timid to take action with higher authorities, then perhaps the next option for Richmond is to avoid the smell. I am indeed anti-law-breaking, for the record.

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RE: Hissing Radiators: I had a similar problem and I checked with my landlord -- as long as steam isn't coming out it is working fine and nothing can be done about the noise.

If steam is coming out, there's a problem with the gasket. One of my radiators had a cracked gasket, so in addition to having a room filled with steam, I also had a radiator that was spraying water and I could not control when it came on.

Speaking of which, do I have any recourse for the damage caused to furniture by a leaking radiator. I reported the problem as soon as I noticed it, but it had already damaged my dresser (water, wood and steam really do not work well together).

Sara Gebhardt: See how much it will cost to repair damaged furniture and ask your landlord to cover the costs. If you didn't do anything to cause the radiator malfunction, you should have some recourse to recover at least part of the cost of repair.

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Re: Pets in apartments: Aside from researching apartments that allow pets, there are some great tips on convincing a landlord to allow a pet available on line. If you google "tips for moving with pets" you will probably find some.

Sara Gebhardt: Another tip about finding a pet-friendly rental property.

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Washington, D.C.: I just wanted to encourage tenants who are battling
landlords over security deposits in small claims court:
It took over a year from when we moved out, but we
settled in pre-trial mediation last month and got 95% of
our deposit back--on the spot. The landlord had a lawyer,
we didn't.
A special treat was getting a letter a week later saying the
landlord was being fined by the city for improper
registration of the unit. (A complaint also filed nearly a
year ago.)
So, just be persistent.

A Satisfied Plaintiff

Sara Gebhardt: News from small claims court...

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Albany, N.Y.: My husband and I are having many problems with our apt complex. The biggest problem is that they have "lost" our rent checks TWICE in the last 6 months. This forces us to pay for a stop-payment on the original check (at $30 a pop) then reissue a new check. They have tried to get us to pay late fees (?!) but we have refused, saying they are the cause of the problem, not us. Note that both rent checks were given to the rental office IN PERSON, not sent by mail.

I have talked to the owner's representative, but she seems like she just doesn't care. I fear that if I send a complaint letter, it will just go straight to her and into the waste basket. What other options to I have to get action? Is it reasonable to ask the owner to compensate us for the $60 in stop-payment fees?

Sara Gebhardt: Yes, it is reasonable to ask the owner to compensate you for the $60 in stop-payment fees, since it was their fault. Can you talk to the owner instead of his/her "representative"? Incidentally, to get a response and recover your money, you will have to write a complaint letter.

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Ashburn, Va.: Hi Sara,

I'm submitting this early since I won't be able to participate in the chat.

You have mentioned negotiating rent increases with landlords before. In a few months my current lease will expire, and I really want to stay where I am (love the apartment and the area), but I fear that the rent increase may be higher than what I can handle. Do you have any tips for negotiating with the rental office? Thanks!

Sara Gebhardt: Yes, if you have extra savings, you can offer to pay a few months in advance. A reader informed me recently that she successfully used the pay-extra up-front technique recently to negotiate her regular rent payments. Be honest with your landlord about what you want, since you really have nothing to lose if you think you won't be able to handle the rent increase you anticipate.

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Colonia, New Jersey: I live in a house with three other women. We recently found out that the owner of the house, and older bachelor, died three weeks ago. We got a let from the executor of his will advising us to hold our rent until further notice. We are all confused about what think about our future in the house. We are worried that someone will knock on the door one day and evict us or double the rent. Our lease with the landlord was only month to month. We are thinking about just moving elsewhere and not waiting to see what happens but we all really like the house and rent and area.

Sara Gebhardt: I'd wait it out and see what happens, since you like the whole package. If it's that easy to just pick up and move soemwhere else for all of you, then wait until you have to before doing so. Whoever takes over the ownership will most likely work with you about moving out or continuing to pay rent sometime soon.

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RE: Lost rent check: Next time you turn in your rent check, make sure to get a receipt. That'll help your case the next time they lose your check.

Sara Gebhardt: Good suggestion.

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RE: Richmond: Okay, the Richmond tenant says she smells marijuana. She has not seen anything. She has no specific evidence the tenant is doing anything illegal. I think it is incredibly risky to make an accusation that someone is performing an illegal act without solid evidence.

What if the odor is incense (yes, some blends do smell like questionable substances). What if Richmond does not have personal experience with the aroma of marijuana smoke, and it's actually clove cigarettes? What if its one of a million things? Let's put things into perspective, and let's all agree to not make claims people are engaging in illegal activities without specific evidence. No one wants to be involved in a libel suit, eh?

Sara Gebhardt: Thank you for this comment.

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Sara Gebhardt: Well, that's it for today. Thanks to everyone for a lively conversation. I will be back on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. In the meantime, feel free to email me with any questions at gebhardts@washpost.com.

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