A Landlord's Suspicious Request

Q: I've always rented from established rental properties, and now I'm considering renting from an independent owner I found online. I don't know how this works. Before having seen the place, I was sent an application via e-mail, and the landlord asked that I mail a money order to a post office box for the application fee. The application asks for my Social Security number and bank account information. Can I have a credit check done on my own with a third party and have that agency mail it to the landlord? What do I need to look for to ensure that it is not a scam and to keep my identity protected? Any advice on what is supposed to happen with private landlords is welcome. -- Washington

A: Although individual landlords may not manage as many units or have as much experience as those who work for large firms, the screening process shouldn't be much different. And if you sense red flags, no matter how you found the apartment, proceed with caution.

The unconventional method your virtual, prospective landlord has chosen to interview applicants should give you pause. Sending a money order to a landlord you have never met or talked to for an apartment you have never seen is not something you should ever do.

But landlords will usually want to check your credit one way or another. And unless you get the okay to have a third party do so, do not attempt that route. Landlords generally like to be in control of the process of analyzing potential tenants. Even so, you are right to be worried about handing over personal information to a post office box. Scrutinizing those who ask for your Social Security number and other personal identifying information is a good rule to follow in general.

Because this seems a bit suspicious, if you really like the description of the apartment and want to pursue it, meet the landlord and tour the apartment. If you are still interested, ask the landlord how he or she will go about checking your credit. If the landlord denies your requests to see the apartment before sending a money order, move on and keep looking for an apartment managed by someone who would not attempt to collect money blindly from hopeful renters.

Private landlords may be a little more laid-back and less "business" in their dealings with you, but they should not circumvent general standards. You can find good apartments managed by individuals as long as you take care to do your own evaluation of those with whom you come into contact, online and in person.

I am a new landlord. I just rented out my one-bedroom condo, with tenants ready to move in this weekend. I'm starting to think I rented it out for too little because I received a huge response from my Craigslist ad. Is there a limit on how much I can raise the rent after this 12-month lease is up in 2008? I don't want to gouge my tenants, but I don't want to lose on my investment either. -- Rockville

Because your unit is not under rent control, after 12 months you can raise the rent as much as you like. You must give your tenants proper, written notice of the rent increase. If you have had a good experience with your tenants, however, keep in mind that raising the rent too much may send you searching for new ones, whose reliability and good behavior may not match up. Or, perhaps in a year, you will not mind losing your tenants to the great unknown of higher rents and new personalities.

I live in a high-rise building. Several weeks ago, I had some large tabletops delivered. I took the day off so I would be home for the delivery, as did my husband, who was to get the tabletops upstairs after they were delivered curbside. Unfortunately, my husband got an emergency call to work and had to leave before the delivery. When the tabletops came, I had the delivery men prop them in the loading entrance at the back of my building. I have been in physical therapy for the past month because of a back injury, and there was no way I could get those 100-pound pieces up to my unit.

I realize that apartment buildings do not want tenants' personal items cluttering public areas, but there was nothing I could do to change the situation. The tabletops were out of the way, against a wall and in a secondary entrance to the building. I didn't think letting them sit there for two hours until my husband returned would be a problem. The building manager thought otherwise and called me up, screaming. I apologized profusely and explained that I was physically incapable of moving the tabletops. The building manager ended our conversation with "Get them out of there now, or I will throw them outside in the Dumpster!"

Because I didn't want something I had just spent money on ending up in the trash, I had no choice but to spend the next hour painfully getting those tabletops upstairs. Not only were they damaged in transit, but I severely injured my back. I realize that I cannot make a rude and inconsiderate person feel compassion, and I understand the building doesn't want to make exceptions for one person, but I feel this building manager was completely out of line. Do I have any legal ramifications? Any other advice for my situation? -- Northern Virginia

I know that in your physical pain and anger over this situation, the last thing you want to do is read your lease. But doing so will give you clues on whether you should consult a lawyer. If the community has policies about delivering and moving goods into apartments, you are likely out of luck.

By rereading your apartment building's rules, you will see what you agreed to when you moved in. If you think the policies (or absence of them) might be interpreted in a way that allows for extenuating circumstances, then feel free to seek advice from a lawyer.

You may find that you do not have a strong legal claim. Your manager may have been following policy that centers on building safety. He or she did not destroy your tabletops.

What he or she did was show poor management skills, which you should immediately report to his or her supervisor. You could ask a higher-up in the management company to compensate you in some way, perhaps by paying for the damage done to your tabletops, to make amends for the manager's lack of professionalism.

In the end, what you have is a terrible apartment manager and a serious need to move out. While you cannot make someone feel compassion, you can distance yourself from those who do not exhibit basic human decency -- especially those you are paying to consider your needs.

Do you have questions, comments or ideas about apartment life? Contact Sara Gebhardt via e-mail at aptlife@gmail.comor by mail, c/o Real Estate Editor, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.