Avoiding a Bad Lease Is Worth Some Short-Term Pain

If your landlord tells you that she inspected the place before the maintenance work began, remind her that you had not officially moved out yet. Ask your landlord what problems, if any, were found. Either way, it sounds like the landlord jumped the gun on the inspection.

Based on the timing of the maintenance work and the official end date on your lease, it seems that you are entitled to your money back, unless there are areas of the apartment (like a broken windowpane in a room where workers had not gone) that were obviously not damaged by anyone but you.

I'm getting ready for the snow. Last year, my apartment complex was horrible about shoveling the walks and plowing the parking lot. During the first storm, the lot never got plowed and was just lightly sanded two days later. One of my neighbors slid into a light post. If I fall and injure myself or have a car accident because of the lax shoveling and plowing, do I have to pay for repairs, or is the complex responsible? -- Herndon

It's good that you are bracing yourself for winter before the first storm hits. A conversation with your landlord or building management staff would probably be better received than after-the-fact finger-pointing.

Discuss your concerns with your management company. Ask for the guidelines on treating sidewalks and parking lots when there is an ice or snow storm -- preferably in writing.

If you cannot gain such a document, then for your own records, write down what management tells you. Having such a discussion will give you a stronger voice with which to complain to management if they are unreasonably slow in reacting to storms. You will also have a better case should you get into an accident due to their inattention.

The general rule your management has to follow is to treat the snow -- whether with sand, shovels or plows -- within a "reasonable" period. So if you fall or have an accident, a court would evaluate various factors in deciding whether your management company was lax in its care of the dangerous conditions.

Obviously, you should do your best to keep from falling and skidding. If you do not think your management company is doing its part in keeping you reasonably safe, call the local government's housing office to file a complaint.

If management is aware of accidents that occurred last year and that residents are contemplating ways to take action, the staff might compel the snow clearers to do a better job this year.

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.