Sara Gebhardt
Washington Post Columnist
Thursday, October 6, 2005
2:00 PM
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.
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Sara Gebhardt: Hello all apartment-dwellers and others joining in for today's discussion. As usual, I'll answer questions about rental life. I am also compiling information about people who have big opinions about renting vs. buying, especially people who have decided to keep renting despite all the condos being built in the area (see today's Business section). Send these comments via email at aptlife@gmail.com, and feel free to send other questions to that address as well if we don't cover them here. Let's get started!
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Washington, D.C.: Are rent prices in large apartment buildings negotiable at all? Whenever I visit a place, they seem to give me a take-it-or-leave-it price. Are the prices really that firm, and if not, how much do you think they can be bargained down?
Sara Gebhardt: Like so many other things in life and in apartment life, the answer often depends on context. Some landlords are willing to negotiate, and others take a firm stance on their set rent prices. Sometimes private ("small") landlords who own one or a few properties will be more willing to negotiate, whereas landlords of big buildings owned by large companies strictly follow company policy.
Of course, you never know if a landlord is willing to go down in price until you ask. If you really like a place that tells you to "take-it-or-leave-it," suggest other concessions such as free parking, a free gym membership, or a specific apartment.
As far as how much landlords who negotiate will go down, I can't say. But do your research so you know what market value is before you try to lowball a price, because a landlord may not take your negotiating seriously if you do that.
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Trailer Park in California: Shouldn't the Post have a "Trailer Life" chat? I'm sure it would be more lively, don't you think?
Sara Gebhardt: You'll have to take that up with the powers-that-be. I find Apartment Life very lively, personally.
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Bethesda, Md.: The apartment I just moved into has orange walls. Is it possible to paint them white? Does this mean I have to return them to orange before I move out?
Sara Gebhardt: An apartment with orange walls has a lot of character. If you must paint over them, you need to first ask your landlord if you can do so. Generally, a landlord expects that you return an apartment in the condition you found it, so gear up for some painting.
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Alexandria, Va.: How common is it for an apartment complex to NOT offer lease renewals to tenants but instead offer only the month-to-month option after their lease expires? I know a few places that do just that (and I heard a rumor that my own apartment complex might do the same) but I wasn't sure how common of a practice this is.
To be honest, this seems like an inefficient practice, because month-to-month is very expensive, and it doesn't seem fair to long-time tenants.
Sara Gebhardt: This is indeed fairly common these days. But usually month-to-month doesn't mean it'll be more expensive; it just means you have the possibility of more frequent rent increases and of your lease being terminated with a month's notice (this varies depending on jurisdiction).
Presumably, long-time tenants have been on the month-to-month system for a long time, or they have worked out longer lease terms with their landlords. If you look at it another way, a month-to-month lease term will ensure that if you have any reason to leave within short notice, you can get out of your lease that much quicker.
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Sheridan, Wyo.: Hello from Wyo!
I am living in duplex apartment with a year's lease tilt next summer. I signed the lease saying that I agreed to no pets, but am now really wanting to get a pet. (I have long wanted to get a pet, but apartments that allow pets are very run down, and with recent life changes, I'd really love the companionship now.)
I was thinking I could suggest a large pet deposit and get a dog from the shelter that is already housetrained. Any other suggestions on how best to approach this with my landlord?
Don't know how much this is a problem for people in large cities, but livable apartments in small towns that allow pets are almost unheard of.
Thanks!!
Sara Gebhardt: If you agreed to no pets, you should prepare yourself to wait before getting a dog. You are right to ask if you can get a house-trained pet, but the reality is that landlords with "no pet" policies probably do not want pets. And if they allowed you to have a dog, no matter the reason (beyond it being a service animal for those who need it), they'd have to allow everyone to have one.
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D.C.: Hello Sara! I think you could help. I'd like to know how to search for an apartment or house that is not a high-rise or in a giant complex. I want something a little more charming and a lot less "blah." How do I go about this? Please help!
Sara Gebhardt: Go about this the way you'd look for any apartment. Look at your local listings, online and in the paper, and walk around neighborhoods you'd want to live in looking at rental houses and apartments. There are plenty of communities in the area that have a lot of charm and are not big hi-rises. Pound the pavement and look for them, and tell friends and coworkers about what you're looking for. Word of mouth often works very well. Good luck!
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Smokers: I just want to share my story about good building management. My upstairs neighbors throw their cigarettes out their window onto my terrace. One of them even lit my wicker chair on fire. I tried to be nice and went to them before complaining to mgmt. Didn't help. I collected all their butts and left them in a pile outside their door. Helped for one month, then they started again.
I complained to management, who left notes under the doors of all of the tenants threatening them with fines. Still didn't improve, and management just fined them $1,000 and threatened to evict them! I haven't seen one cigarette since.
Sara Gebhardt: Wow. I probably would have never suggested collecting cigarette butts and leaving them outside the smokers' door. But I think everyone here will appreciate this story. Thanks.
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Silver Spring, Md.: I know this is a topic you've likely covered multiple times, but I couldn't figure out how to search your archives, so I'm asking... My husband and I moved out of our apartment at the end of August and we have not heard back from the building about our security deposit. When should I start to become concerned and place a phone call asking about the deposit?
Thank you so much for taking this question!
Sara Gebhardt: End of August? Your landlord has 45 days to let you know about your security deposit, or to refund it. That means you should be concerned mid-October. It won't hurt to place the phone call now just to make sure you should be expecting something in a week or two.
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Month-to-month: I consider month-to-month leases a bonus! I lived that way for seven years in D.C., and the rent only increased a small amount once a year, just like a regular lease. It's much easier to move out because there is no lease-breaking. I know the William C. Smith company does this, and I loved living in one of their buildings.
Sara Gebhardt: Many buildings do month-to-month rentals, and many renters appreciate having the flexibility.
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Arlington, Va.: I live in a townhouse neighborhood that must have some kind of homeowner's association that works on outside repairs, etc. I don't know because I rent my townhouse from the owner. My question is, are associations required to let occupants know when repairs are going to be performed? On Saturday morning at 8:30, with my second-floor windows wide open to let in the cool air, boy was I surprised to see a man on a ladder right outside my window -- especially since I sleep without much on!
They were fixing the gutters all over the neighborhood, but it was a huge invasion on my privacy without my prior knowledge. I have no idea if my landlord knew about this upcoming repair... My sense is probably not, since he's been very good about informing me when someone will be by. Is there anything I can do about this? Do homeowner's associations have to let residents know about repairs like these?
Sara Gebhardt: You'll have to consult the homeowners' association to find out what their rules are. Or, ask your landlord to look into it for you. A lot of communities will post signs or put information on an email list-serv these days, so you might want to see if such postings exist where you live. In the meantime, close your blinds or curtains when you're sleeping.
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Washington, D.C.: Hi Sara,
With the price of natural gas expected to skyrocket, I'm a little worried about the cost of heating our rented house, which was high last year. The house is old and drafty. The windows are single-pane and most are in need of repair. What are the management company's obligations in terms of winterizing the house to keep our heating costs down?
Thanks!
Sara Gebhardt: A landlord's basic obligations is to make sure the heating system is functioning for the winter. To this end, you could ask your landlord to do a diagnostic check on the heating system to make sure it works adequately (so you aren't paying high prices for something that doesn't work). You could also ask your landlord to seal any drafty areas in the house.
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Washington, D.C.: Is it legal to smoke in the hallways -- or rather, stairwells -- of apartment buildings? I've repeatedly seen (and smelled) stale cigarette butts on the stairs, and yesterday as I was walking up four flights to my apartment, I passed a tenant from the third floor hanging out in the stairwell, puffing away. As a nonsmoker, I find this disgusting. There's hardly any airflow into those stairwells, and many of us use them regularly, since the building's lone elevator is circa 1920...
Sara Gebhardt: I'm not sure about "legal," but most buildings generally do not allow smoking in common areas of buildings, including stairwells and hallways. Some landlords designate entire buildings as non-smoking. Consult your landlord for help about getting the word out that smoking should be confined to individual units.
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Centreville, Va.: Hello, is it becoming more common for apartment complexes to require a 60-day move-out notice? I have been seeing this requirement more and more over the last few years.
Sara Gebhardt: I'm not sure if it's becoming more common. Many apartment communities have long written the 60-day move-out notice in their leases.
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Silver Spring, Md.: This weekend we were hanging curtain rods at what we considered to be a reasonable time in our new apartment (9:30 on Saturday night). We planned to stop at 10 p.m. Seems that one of our neighbors was upset by this and instead of knocking on our door, they called and filed a complaint. One person said we were having a party! I guess maybe a curtain hanging party... anyway. If they would have knocked, we would have kindly stopped. Obviously, this makes us nervous that people in our building are REALLY sensitive to noise. Can you get kicked out for noise complaints?
Sara Gebhardt: In extreme situations, you can get kicked out for noise complaints. But usually, you have to be causing quite a stir frequently and at odd hours for management to take action. Remember that if your noise travels easily, then others' noise will too. You might try talking to the neighbor who reported you... first by apologizing, just to break the ice, and then asking why they didn't just come to you before filing a complaint. It's better to at least try create good relationships with neighbors so you can avoid these kinds of situations.
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D.C.: For the person who was looking to find a place that wasn't in a large complex, I suggest craigslist.org. It has tons of listings from all over the D.C. area. Great resource.
Sara Gebhardt: Yes, craigslist is a great resource.
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NW D.C.: My roommates and I are leaving our rental house at the end of the month. We received instructions from the management company that include not canceling the utilities under the premise that they will do it. Due to previous poor experiences with the company, we're reluctant to leave this to them and, in the past, we've always contacted the utility companies on our own. (By the way, when we moved in the utilities had been turned off and we were responsible for fees associated with setting them up.)
Having the chimney and gutters cleaned were also included in the instructions -- I get the gutters, but the chimney is insane since it was recently relined and clearly had not been worked on or cleaned in many, many years. Has anyone else received unreasonable move-out instructions? Are these unreasonable?
Sara Gebhardt: I'll say that technically you are supposed to return the rental property to its original condition (excluding normal wear and tear). So if the chimney wasn't cleaned when you moved in and you never used it, or however you might frame the situation, your management company could be asking you to do unreasonable things.
Re-read your lease, first of all, and see if there's any comments about moving out or utilities. It is not unreasonable for you to ask if you can shut off your own utilities or receive a written notice that your company will do so (in case it doesn't happen).
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Fairfax County, Va.: My roommate and I believe we are the victims of a "bully landlord." He is refusing to give back a portion of our sizable deposit that we feel we deserve because he says we have damaged the place (we disagree). We are following what we believe to be proper channels, including writing letters and such. Do you have any further advice on what we can do? Is there any way he could possibly come after us for more money, saying the deposit didn't cover all the damages? Thank you for your help!
Sara Gebhardt: If you don't agree about the damages, you should continue going about the proper channels and think about taking the case to small claims court. Hopefully you have proof of the apartment's condition when you moved in, otherwise it will be his word against yours. Your landlord could try to bill you for excessive damages if you really did something big enough to eat up all of the security deposit, but he'd have to furnish proof and receipts for the maintenance costs.
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Takoma, D.C.: I just received a complaint from my downstairs neighbors that I need to cover my floors more because they can hear me through their ceiling. I'm stunned because I'm always careful to take off my shoes as soon as I come inside. I want to be respectful of the neighbors, but I love the look of my hardwood floors and even if I wanted to cover them up, I can't really afford a lot of carpeting. Isn't going barefoot enough?
Sara Gebhardt: I'd say, if you're conscious not to walk on the floor AND your building does not have a rug-rule (that you must cover 75% of your floors with carpet, or something like that), you can continue what you've been doing. You could invite your neighbors over to show them how little noise you are actually making, and then maybe they'll understand the noise is really the fault of poor building construction. (Wouldn't it be a great world if neighbors actually acted this rationally?)
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Tampa, Fla.: I plan on moving to D.C. later this year. I have never lived there and only visited once many years ago -- so I'm clueless. What are some good sources on the Internet that you might recommend for a brand new, soon-to-be-resident looking for a place in the city for a single late-20's person?
Thanks.
Sara Gebhardt: Try craigslist.org and washingtonpost.com if you're looking over the Internet. If you can, come visit DC again and explore neighborhoods to get a feel for where you'd like to live. If you've got friends or future colleagues here, hit them up for suggestions.
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Alexandria, Va.: I reside in an apartment building by the Woodrow Wilson bridge that is owned by VDOT. I've been on a month-to-month lease for more than a year and the rent is reasonable for the location. But rumors are circulating that this building could be sold to condo developers. There is NO timetable or notification on when this could happen, which is irritating.
Have any advice for someone wondering if she should wait it out until developers convert and get "kicked out" or just flee this uncertainty and move?
Sara Gebhardt: So you like the location and the rent and otherwise do not want to move? Then wait. Rumors are just that: rumors. Even if they're true, there's a whole process owners need to follow before turning apartments into condos. And part of that process entails giving you a reasonable amount of time to move out -- usually three months. In my mind, that's plenty for you to find something else.
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Arlington, Va.: I am currently locked into a six-month lease. There is nothing specific in my lease about the penalties for early termination. I have found a much better and cheaper apartment and would like to break my lease. I am assuming that they will probably hold back my security deposit -- but am I liable for anything more? Can they force me to pay the rent for the remainder of my lease?
Sara Gebhardt: Yes, there is a possibility that you'd have to pay the remainder of your lease. Remember, a lease contract means you have agreed to pay the rent for the entire six months. You could find a replacement tenant so that you will not be liable for the rest of your rent. A landlord has to look for a replacement tenant and once he or she finds one, cannot charge you for rent.
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Arlington, Va.: Hi Sara, We're selling our 2/2 condo and will be renting again soon because we now have two under-two-year-old babies and need more space. I want to rent a 3BR apt close in but they are expensive. I search craigslist every day. Do you know any other ways? Also, we checked out Arlington at Avalone and thought it's fine. Is there another complex like it close-in? Thanks!
Sara Gebhardt: There are plenty of apartments all over the Washington region. Three bedrooms are a little harder to come by because there are less of them. Try the listings in The Post on Saturdays.
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Silver Spring, Md.: Gas prices: One idea for the renter of a drafty house is to check out the providers of gas/electricity other than Pepco and "lock-in" a price for their utility now. You can do one- or two-year contracts and they do not raise the price during that time no matter what the market does. On the news the other night it was stated by a Pepco spokesman that less than 17% of people who can select a different provider do.
Sara Gebhardt: Right, locking in has become more difficult recently because of the increasing gas prices, but it's worth a try. Let me know how it goes...
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Elkridge, Md.: FYI, I asked a rep from Baltimore Gas & Electric Home for tips on keeping heating costs down and he recommended using space heaters since electric costs are less than fuel oil, which runs my furnace. I keep the thermostat at a level that I'm comfortable with and run the space heaters only when I'm home. For those who want to save money, please remember to set the thermostat well above freezing (you want to keep water pipes from freezing and bursting!).
Sara Gebhardt: Just be careful, in general, when using electric heaters. They are known to be great fire hazards, and they also use a lot of electricity. Soon, I will tackle tips on keeping heating costs down in a column.
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Sara Gebhardt: Okay, that ends this month's wonderful Apartment Life discussion. Meet me here in November so we can continue to chat about all things rental-related. In the meantime, feel free to send me questions and comments about renting/buying to aptlife@gmail.com.
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