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: Happy New Year to all. Due to a change in scheduling, I'm here a few weeks early to address your questions about all things rental. Today I have a goodie to give away to the person who needs it the most.... I have a disinfectant solution sitting on my desk that maker, Sporicidin in Rockville, has given me so that one of you can test it and see if it really gets rid of those strong garlic, onion, curry smells that waft in from surrounding apartments. Just tell me why you need it. Let's get to the questions!

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Parking lots.....: Sara, there is a car in front of my apartment building that has been there over 3 months. It has not been moved at all during that time. The car has sustained body damamge while left sitting as well. What can I do (other than talking yet again with my aptartment manager who does nothing) to get the car moved to a less desireable location?

Sara Gebhardt: Well, besides talking to your manager, you can ask around among your neighbors and find out who's car it is. You could also call the police, who will track down the owner and make it known that someone has complained. You should only do this as a last resource, since calling the cops on a neighbor is not exactly the most "neighborly" move, if you know what I mean.

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Greensboro, NC: Hi Sara,
I have another "no bathroom fan" question for you: do you have any suggestions to minimize the mirror fogging problem? Even when I leave my door open it's like a steamroom, and I don't even take hot showers!;

Sara Gebhardt: Hi to all my Greensboro people... I didn't realize I got a first "bathroom fan" question, but I take it you're asking what to do without a bathroom fan. Crack some windows, leave doors open, and be patient if the mirror is fogged for a few minutes after a shower. You might put a mirror in your bedroom or somewhere else if you aren't too patient.

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Falls Church, Va.: If mortgage interest rates rise this year, as some experts think they will, do you see rents increasing?

Thanks.

Sara Gebhardt: Experts say that the rental market isn't nearly as vacant as it was a year ago, making it a good possibility that rents will increase assuming the economy improves.

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Greensboro, NC: The man that I'm dating right now is on this really huge Thai/lots of curry kick and I can't get rid of the smell!; I just don't find it romantic!; Any suggestions?

Sara Gebhardt: A strong smell can kill the romance, I am sure. My column on Saturday will list reader suggestions about how to combat such smells. But if it's romance you're looking for, try getting some powerful aromatherapy candles for your dinner table. At the very least, you'll have an assortment of smells to choose from....

People say that spraying vinegar (using a spray bottle) around a room and using air purifying systems work fairly well.

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Odenton, MD: Sara---what CAN you do about odors coming in from other people's apartments? I live on the second floor of my building and with the windows closed I can smell something coming in through a hole put in the wall in my coat closet. It always smells like Indian food...

Sara Gebhardt: My sources on odor say that the best way to get rid of smells is at the source, so unless you go into your neighbor's kitchen, you may be smelling that food for a while. Aside from vinegar and air purifiers, you can minimize the smells with certain products, especially those used in hospital cleaning since they're so powerful.

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Milwaukee, Wis.: I will be moving to Washington DC and starting a new job in 3 weeks. This came up rather suddenly and I would like any help you could give me on finding affordable living arrangements in relatively safe and clean surroundings. I have no friends or relatives in the area.

Sara Gebhardt: Welcome to Washington. There are many good neighborhoods to live in, but you have to do your research. It will require some work in the next few weeks, but you should look at apartment listings in the Post as well as on web sites like www.craigslist.org or washingtoncitypaper.com to see what is affordable. Then research the neighborhoods to see if they have what you want. Get the crime stats, and if you can, spend some time in the neighborhood at all hours to see if it's what you want. Ask around your new workplace for suggestions as well.

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Laurel, MD: To the Odenton chatter regarding cooking smells wafting through a hole in the closet wall: try filling the hole with drywall repair putty. That may help!;!;

Sara Gebhardt: A good suggestion. Filling holes in walls, ceilings and floors also may help.

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Baltimore, MD: To the no-bathroom-fan poster, try wiping the whole mirror down with regular old shaving cream/foam (the standard white stuff, nothing fancy), then wiping dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. This really works to reduce fogging. Alternatively, you can spend more money and try a defogging product like that made by RainX for car window interiors. You can get it at Target, PepBoys, etc.

Sara Gebhardt: Defogging advice...

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Washington, DC: I was reading from your last transcript about the renter that was upset that her verbal statement about moving out wasn't good enough. I'm a landlord, and I've accepted verbal statements twice over the past year or so. Both times the tenants then changed their moveout dates without telling me. One ended up staying an extra two weeks and I didn't know about it until my repair guy was denied access to the apartment. So, yes, moving dates should be in writing. It's not fair to the landlord to not be firm and clear about moving out.

Sara Gebhardt: An opinion from a landlord giving us yet another good reason to conduct all business with a landlord in writing.

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Bronx, N.Y.: Hi,

I have an upstairs neighbor who has two cats that are VERY rambunctious. They woke me out of a sound sleep this morning before 6, and we can hear them chasing each other all over the apartment. (I know it's ridiculous, but it sounds like we live UNDER the running of the bulls sometimes.) I really I want to confront her, but am not sure what to say. As far as I know, cats are allowed in the building. There is an 80% rule (80% of floorspace must be covered with carpet or furniture), but I don't want to harp on this because we don't keep to this ourselves.

What can I say?

Thanks!;

Sara Gebhardt: Are you sure you're not exaggerating? I am sure if you are comparing your noisy upstairs neighbors (or their cats) to bulls, it must be bad. First, before "confrontation," ask your landlord to deal with the situation. It looks like a carpet is what will solve this problem, and it may mean you will have to install one as well if you want a peaceful night's sleep.

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Arlington, Va.: RE: fogging mirrors - one think I heard of (but haven't tried) is rubbing the mirror with a dryer sheet. Hey, can't hurt to try!

Sara Gebhardt: De-fogging tip.

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Baltimore, Md.: Another tip for the Odenton kitchen-odor problem. I also have neighbors below me who cook very stinky foods, and the scent permeates. I put a dryer sheet in each of my active air vents (tucked out of the way so as not to obstruct airflow) and the air from the furnace (or AC, in the summer) helps to keep the air fresh-smelling. Odor-neutralizing candles also help, but you can't burn them all the time (or while you're not at home).

Sara Gebhardt: Dryer sheets seem to be "in" today. And you're right, fire safety is extremely important, so always be around when you're burning candles.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hey Sara
I live in an apartment that i hate and my lease is up in 2 months so i will be moving. Howsoon should i start looking for a new apt? I heard that if you wait till close to your move date you can get a better deal. Also how do i know if an apartment complex is really as good as it seems.

Sara Gebhardt: You can start looking for an apartment right now. Two months isn't too soon. When the deals are "better" is all relative. Sometimes good apartments come up at the last minute, but you want to make sure you know exactly what you're getting into before you sign on the dotted line. Since you've been unhappy with your current apartment, I'd suggest doing some research about neighborhoods and complexes well before your moving date. That means asking residents who live in prospective buildings all the questions you have and spending some time in and around the building to get a feel for it.

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Baltimore, MD: I moved out of an Alexandria apt in Sept. I did not have a lease and gave over 60 days written notice that I was moving out. It has been over 90 days, and I have not received my security deposit. I have called the rental office, but they never return my phone calls. What recourse do I have to have my deposit refunded? P.S. I left the place immaculate and have pictures to prove it, so they can't claim there were damages or anything of the sort for not refunding my money.

Sara Gebhardt: You did not have a lease but did have a security deposit? Hmm, interesting conundrum. You should contact the overseeing management company, if there is one. Whoever is in charge of the rental office. If that doesn't work, call the local housing department and make a report. There is always small claims court. Having pictures would definitely help your case.

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Chantilly, Va. : Are there any apartments in Northern Virgina area that are willing to offer a second chance to people with credit issues?

Sara Gebhardt: I am sure there are. Many area apartments have been nown to give people with credit problems a chance. The best way to improve your chances is to have proof of regular employment so they know you'll be good for rent. You can also pay a few months in advance to show you're serious about being responsible. If worse comes to worse, you can find a co-signer. Figure out where you want to live and be honest with prospective property managers about your credit situation.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Sara- I am looking to move out of a group house in July 2004 to a quiet one bedroom apartment in the Georgetown/Glover Park area. I know it's a ways away but I'm already getting excited about it. I'm not sure if I should be looking at English basement-type places or apartment buildings if I want to spend appx $1,000-1,200 a month. Do you have any recommendations for good places to look in that area?

Sara Gebhardt: I tend to shy away from recommending specific buildings or areas. There should be plenty of opportunity to find a place in this area, however. Spend some time there and ask around. Put the word out that you'll be primed to go in July as well, as often word of mouth helps you find the best, unlisted places.

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Va. Suburbs to Washington, D.C.: Lifestyle Change: I'm moving out of group house in the suburbs w/ a nutty landlord, and would like to find a NW DC studio in a well-managed building.

I'm looking within the triangle of lower G-town, upper Dupont, and Chinatown/MCI. Proximity to a metro stop is key and I'd like to keep my rent under $1000/month.

Any suggestions?? Thanks!!

Sara Gebhardt: Again, survey the neighborhoods and do some leg work to figure out what will work best for you. The Chinatown/Penn Quarter area is attempting to become the next hot spot for Northwest neighborhoods.

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Cleveland Park: Hi Sara,

I currently live in Cleveland Park, but my rent just went up and I'm looking for something cheaper. A close friend lives in Potomac Place in SW, she is lobbying hard for me to move there because it is close to the Hill where I work and it is pretty cheep.

However, I'm worried that there really isn't much to do in SW, I've heard they are going to redevelop the area by the water and the mall with a CVS and Safeway, but I don't know if that is going to happen any time soon and I just don't think there is enough going on there now.

Thoughts?

Sara Gebhardt: It all depends on where you feel comfortable. Spend time with your friend and evaluate the neighborhood honestly and realistically. You shouldn't feel pressured to move because of your friend, but you should also not fall into the trap of thinking you can only be happy in Northwest DC either. There are so many other neighborhoods that are ripe with activity.

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Washington DC: Sara, a friend of mine is planning to move into my apartment in June, which is halfway through my lease. When is the best time to inform my landlord of this, so that we can take the steps of adding her to my lease? I would also love any suggestions from landlords out there as to how to make this process easier for my landlord (I'm his first tenant, so we're learning the landlord/tenant process together).

Thanks!;

Sara Gebhardt: I'd say the sooner, the better so that you can find out what's expected of you.

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DC: One more from landlord - in response to the poster with questions about bad credit and rentals. Yes, some landlords will consider bad credit tenants, but pretty much only if the potential tenants are up-front about it. I recently rented to a couple that had 1 bankruptcy and two failing credit scores. They wrote me a nice note telling me the reasons for both. I took a chance and rented to them, requiring a couple of month's rent in advance. They've been model tenants, so much so that I've given them back their advance rents. But if they hadn't been up front about it there's no way I would have rented to them.

Sara Gebhardt: Exactly. Renters should be up-front about their credit problems.

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Sara, you're kidding: Aromatherapy candles competing with curry smells? Talk about making the situation worse. The last thing you should do is throw in extra smells!;

Sara Gebhardt: I was kidding. I'm glad someone noticed. It was too hard to resist after reading the question about curry and romance.

And you're right, adding new smells to "cover up" really potent ones does not do the trick. It just masks the smell, rather than getting rid of it, and certainly has the potential to make the air smell even worse.

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Running of the Cats: I have two cats who can sound like the running of the bulls at night as well. My vet recommended playing with them for a half hour before going to bed to tire them out for the night...they love to chase the dots of those laser pointers that were recently so popular...perhaps giving the poster could try giving the cat owner one and explaining that the noise is a problem?
My neighbors are all cat owners and don't really mind because their own pets are doing the same thing, but when my downstairs neighbor, a student, was taking finals, I'd always try to tire my cats out before bed!;

Sara Gebhardt: As long as you tire them out at an early hour, this seems like a good idea.

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DC: Another post from a landlord.....this time about involving landlords about things that are beyond our control. I often get calls from tenants complaining about noise from neighbors, other people not putting out trash, etc. Please remember that I am not the boss of other people - that is, be an adult and confront the problem directly before trying to drag landlords into it. I can't make your neighbor be nicer to you any more than you can. If it is something I can control, I'm happy to help, but a landlord is not the same thing as the local police, health department, etc.

Sara Gebhardt: Here's another landlord's opinion. Tenants who try to resolve problems with their neighbors in a mature way sometimes feel like they have no other recourse than to talk to a landlord, who should do his/her best to point them in the direction of how they can solve the dilemma. I agree that neighbors should get along together and act like adults, but there are times that the landlord-as-a-middleman/woman becomes necessary.

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Washington, DC: For the bathroom fan poster - use a hairdryer. It unfogs the mirror in a few seconds. Everyone's always amazed when they see how well this works.

Sara Gebhardt: Another suggestion.

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DC: On smells - the one thing that works best is to contact the 'smelly' person and politely ask if there is anything that can be done to reduce the smell. Often they have no idea that the smell is so strong, as they are quite used to it. They may not realize that not everyone is in love with it. While they probably won't quit cooking with those items, at a minimum they will often try to air out their kitchens by opening a window, using the kitchen fan, or such.

Sara Gebhardt: This is the mature way to handle the problem, for sure!

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Washington, D.C.: Totally awkward question, but... The person who lives under me has apparently been able to hear my boyfriend and I being, um, affectionate. That's a euphemism. We're not particularly loud, but apparently the bed creaks and she can hear it. So she bangs on her ceiling (my floor), loudly and repeatedly. I don't know what to do; I'm not going to never have sex again just because we live in a building with thin walls. To some extent, this is part of the deal with apartment living and I think she's out of line to respond that way. If we were really loud, I'd understand it but we're not. Anything I can do?

Sara Gebhardt: You're right about it being a totally awkward question. Perhaps fix the bed creaks and also have a discussion with her about how you're doing your best to keep the noise level low and her loud and repeated banging on the ceiling are not helping the noise level problem either. Perhaps an awkward conversation to broach with a neighbor, but if all parties know what's going on, it's best to address the issue at hand.

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Va. Suburbs to Washington, D.C: Follow-Up: Thanks!; Any specific or commonly overlooked questions I should ask the building manager?

Sara Gebhardt: You might want to ask what the building's attrition rate is, that is, how many people move out after living there only one year. And find out how many longtime residents are there and track down actual residents to interview about the building. You'd want to ask them candidly about the management staff, how quickly things are fixed, if the building has lived up to their expectations, the neighborhood, safety, etc. There are obviously going to be differing points of view, so you'll want to ask enough people to figure out if it's a place you'd be happy calling your home. Good luck.

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Sara Gebhardt: Well, that's a wrap for me today. I'll see you back here on Thursday, February 5th, same time. For those who chimed in about cooking smells, send me an email to tell me why you deserve the disinfectant solution. And for those who have other questions, or perhaps issues I didn't get to, feel free to send a note as well. (gebhardts@washpost.com).
Until next month, happy living!

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