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, all. As the weather changes and the world turns, apartment-dwellers continue to have the same issues and experiences. So I am here once again to discuss everything rental-related. Anyone growing a garden in their aparment? How about hiding a pet without management's notice? Or looking for a last-minute summer sublet? As usual, you are all welcome to chime in.
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McLean, Va.:
Hi Sara, Do I really need to give my landlord a certain amount of notice before moving out? It seems like if I pay the month's rent, he should be just as happy to get someone else in there ASAP.
Sara Gebhardt: A lease agreement mandates that you give notice, whether that's 30 or 60 days. If you pay the last month's rent, it will still take your landlord time to prepare the apartment for another tenant. Without notice, your landlord will not know how to make such preparations and may assume that you are not intending to leave.
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D.C.:
Another comment on smoke detectors from last month. I have always used a paper bag hat to quiet mine. It takes a few minutes to make (you have to roll the edges of a paper bag down and put masking tape all around the edges to make a sturdy "lip"), but it will last forever. Just tape over the detector before cooking and remove when done. When it gets dusty or gross, make yourself a new one!
Sara Gebhardt: A tip following up on last month's smoke detector discussion.
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Alexandria, Va.:
I'm looking for a place to live in D.C. I just got out of a long relationship and want to preferably live with people that are around the same age as I am (mid 20's). I work in downtown D.C. and would like to be able to walk to a nearby metro. My biggest concern other than living with completely new people is the cost. Is there any decent place to rent (year lease or month to month) that is between $500-$700? Thanks for the help.
Sara Gebhardt: If you are looking for shared housing amongh 20-somethings in the District, it's possible. You may have to look for situations with multiple roommates, however to find the price range you're looking for. Do a lot of research and apartment-hunting, though, and you can find deals out there. It often takes time and a lot of searching to find, so don't be in a rush if you don't have to.
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Falls Church, Va.:
I don't know if you've ever addressed it, but you might want to let your readers know about www.aptratings.com.
I've written reviews for my last two apartments and I like to think someone will find them helpful. There's a lot of venting by unhappy residents, so maybe happy renters would like to list why the like where they live. I know it was a tool for me before moved to my current place.
Sara Gebhardt: I have addressed this as one of the many web sites out there to get information about apartments.
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Washington, D.C.:
I own a brick rowhouse in a quiet neighborhood that's convenient to Rock Creek Park and several bus lines. How do I determine how much rent to charge for a basement unit (separate full bath, kitchenette, cable TV & DSL)? Also, how do I learn what the D.C. code is regarding basement rentals? Thanks.
Sara Gebhardt: The best way to find out the going rate for basement apartments in your neighborhood is to find out what other people are paying to rent a similar space. Obviously, you want your tenant to pay for the costs you are putting forth for that space too. You can access the dc code on the Internet and/or get a brochure about rental laws from the office. Start by going to http://dcra.dc.gov. (The D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Housing Regulation Administration (HRA) regulates the D.C. housing code.)
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Greenbelt, Md.:
When you put an ad in the newspaper for a roommate, how much detail should you put in about the type of roommate you want?
Sara Gebhardt: Depends who you are looking for. If you want a non-smoker or a female roommate, you should note that. If you are paying for the ad, you will have space considerations, so you should note the most important qualities you hope a roommate has. On online sites, you can often write a lot about what you are looking for in a roommate--once I wrote about a group house that only accepted techies. The more specific you are, the less time you will have to spend weeding people who contact you out.
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Chapel Hill, North Carolina:
What are the best ways to go about getting an affordable apartment in a safe neighborhood just for a summer rental???
Sara Gebhardt: The same ways you'd look for a permanent rental can be used when looking for a temporary one. Visit neighborhoods, talk to residents and scour advertisements online, in print and even in local grocery stores, libraries or universities. You may not have the luxury of waiting for the best place you can find, so you will have to evaluate your choices against one another. I think that when it comes to short-term situations, spreading the word that you are looking for summer housing is a very strong tool.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
I have a noise problem in our apartment (it sounds somewhat like an unbalanced washing machine, but has been getting more towards jackhammer noise levels lately). I am not sure if it is the apartment above ours, or the laundry room next to that apartment. I have talked to management about it twice already, and they seemingly haven't done anything to fix the problem. Is there anything else I can do? It is extremely disturbing and often wakes us at very early hours or keeps us up late. I've been there for 3 years, and this was not always a problem, only for the last 7-8 months and it's getting worse.
Sara Gebhardt: Unplug the washing machines? Nah, that would not be the best thing to do. Write your management a letter describing the noise and how it has gotten worse. Include your conversation earlier about the noise in the letter. Put it in writing and ask for a response about when it will be checked into, or what has been done already. Then give the management time to respond, and if nothing happens, go about the same thing with the central management company, if there is one. If you have a paper trail, you may at least have a way to get out of your lease should you decide to move out based on the noise. If the noise is in fact violating your city's noise ordinance, then you can also report the problem to your city's housing authority.
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Van Ness, D.C.:
Hi Sara! My boyfriend has disgusting mold all over in his bathroom. He told the apartment management earlier and they just painted over it. Obviously that didn't get rid of it and it is back with a vengence. He is looking to move and is worried that he is going to get a fine for the mold in the bathroom. I told him that it is that apartment building's responsibility and actually is probably a health hazard. What are your thoughts on this?
Sara Gebhardt: I agree wiht you that your boyfriend will not be fined for mold in the bathroom, especially if the management has known about it and dealt with it by painting over it. It may well be a health hazard, in which case you should contact the DCRA (mentioned earlier in the chat) and report it.
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Fairfax, Va.:
I'm a just-out-of-college woman who live's in a large apartment complex. Yesterday, while cleaning, I notice a wire with what appeared to be a tiny lens on the end poking out of a light fixture. I talked to my neighbor and she said she found one as well. Am I paranoid to think this might be a hidden camera. Who should I contact to find out if it is?
Sara Gebhardt: Wow. A hidden camera in your apartment complex? I do not know how you can find out if it is such a thing, and perhaps you are paranoid to suspect that it is. But paranoia or not, it's worrying you and you should always be able to live in your apartment without such worry. So, for the meantime, try covering it up to ease your mind, then ask someone in maintenance what that wire is intended to do. It's completely possible it's just part of the fixture design.
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Arlington, Va.:
I learned that military or "security" affiliation is not a protected class when it comes to renting a unit. I suggest that landlords upset with the U.S.'s actions in Iraq can show their displeasure by refusing to rent to all members of the military & security apparati in this country.
Sara Gebhardt: In many places, including the District, landlords cannot discriminate against people based on their job or source of income. That means they cannot turn away members of the military or people who do not share their political beliefs. Even if the national Fair Housing laws do not grant such protection, often local jurisdictions will.
Incidentally, the federal 1988 Fair Housing Amendments Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against prospective residents based on race, color, religion, gender, handicap, familial status or national origin.
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RE: Affordable summer rentals:
I would look for ads for housesitters, too. People going away for a short time might not want to bother renting their house or subletting but may be willing to even pay a small fee for a housesitter.
Sara Gebhardt: Very good suggestion. House-sitting jobs are hard to find.
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For the person looking for D.C. apts:
Try Hillzoo.com -- lots of people looking to share and looking for housemates.
Sara Gebhardt: Thanks for the tip.
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Baltimore, Md.:
My apartment building will not allow any type of wall decoration (paint, wallpaper, nails in the walls) etc. Do you have any ideas so I do not have to come home to white walls?
Sara Gebhardt: There are many creative ways to spice up white walls without actually hammering or painting. You can hang colorful cloths to give the look of paint or affix posters to the wall using tools that do not harm the wall (ask at your local hardware store). Plants, mirrors, and big furniture objects also break up the space and give a little flair to white apartments.
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Re: Aptratings.com:
I would take many of the reviews there with a grain of salt. My building (NYC) is in there with a ton of complaints. However, I've lived in this building for three years and it's amazing. People write in b-tching about the most petty things and then give it the lowest rating possible. One person gave the building no stars because there is a strip club a few blocks away. That doesn't really say anything about the quality of the apartments or management. Most people I know wouldn't really care about that, especially because it's still a very safe neighborhood.
Sara Gebhardt: Of course. Everyone has different opinions about the places they inhabit. It's important to sift through the content of these reviews and cull from them details you may want to konw. If nothing else, the reviews may give a prospective renter the right questions to ask of the prospective landlord and other residents when looking at a building in person.
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Arlington, Va.:
That woman with the questionable lens-wire should go to a hardware store with a sketch and ask people who know wiring what it is. If they can't help her, she should call the police. Ewwww!
Sara Gebhardt: A suggestion for the women who fears she is being watched.
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Another Arlington, Va.:
Refuse to rent to military personnel? -What- is Arlington, Virginia thinking (or smoking)? If a landlord is displeased with our current political situation, I suggest that said landlord VOTE in November. What a horrible, thoughtless, and yes, potentially illegal way to treat military personnel, who are already under a great deal of stress, and way underpaid.
Geez!
Sara Gebhardt: Thanks for the comment.
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Washington, D.C.:
I live in a fairly large apartment complex, with as best I can tell quite a large management staff. What is a reasonable amount of time to expect action to be taken on repair requests (non-urgent repair)? How quickly will I annoy them to keep calling?
Thanks!
Sara Gebhardt: Non-urgent repairs should be made within a few weeks. Usually with a large complex with a large staff, though, repairs, even minor, happen much quicker. How quickly you annoy them is another story entirely.
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Greensboro, N.C.:
I moved into a "newly renovated" house last year. Since then, the floors have been scratching up like nobody's business. I think my landlord stained them with sweetened iced tea. Anyway, she said it wouldn't be a problem when I moved out, but I'm worried she's going to shaft me anyway. Any advice?
Sara Gebhardt: Do you mean sweet tea? That stuff is great, but I didn't know it could stain a floor. If she said it wouldn't be a problem, then get her to say it in writing. As in, the floors are scratched and you said I wouldn't be responsible. It sounds like she's laid back, so just talk to her about what you're thinking and explain that her assurance will make you feel a lot better.
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Arlington, Va.:
I recently bought a house, though my lease expires in August. I plan to continue to pay the rent, but the lease requires me to occupy the apartment. Do I have any options? Can I move out, not say anything, keep paying the rent, and give notice at the required time?
Sara Gebhardt: Maybe you can find a subletter, assuming your landlord would rather have an occupant than rent money and no occupant. Most people would probably risk it for three months, since you will be giving notice in July. It's up to you how you handle it, really.
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Sara Gebhardt: Alright, folks. That's it for this month's chat. I'll see you all here, hopefully, same time on June 3. Until, then, happy dwelling.
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