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Welcome to Apartment Life, a monthly discussion of rental issues and lifestyle. Washington Post columnist Sara Gebhardt takes your questions and comments.

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.

Sara Gebhardt: Good afternoon, renters! I welcome all questions apartment-related. So, let's get to it.

arlington, virginia: apartment noise: I live in a garden apartment on the third floor. Downstairs, on the first floor, every night from 8PM to 10 or 11PM video gamers play a game which involves loud, booming crashes which are amplified by a sound system. I tried once to complain by knocking at the door but there was no answer. I don't know if any others in my apartment building have complained. What is the best way to get more quiet in my apartment?

Sara Gebhardt: Well, what you should do is continue to try to ask the gamers to keep it down. If that fails, tell your manager about it. You can ask neighbors if they too are disturbed by the loud crashing noises, but don't assume that they have filed complaints with the manager. Often apartment residents automatically assume other people are reporting obvious problems. Anyone out there have other solutions for dealing with a noisy neighbor?

washington dc: Is there and way to find apartments that are not in the big apartment guides or online? The only thing I can think of is driving around the desired neighborhoods, but I worry that I might miss something. I know there must be lots of places that don't advertise.

Sara Gebhardt: You're right. Lots of buildings don't advertise because they don't have to. If you know what neighborhood you want to live in, take some time to drive and/or walk around and chat with different building managers. Often they may clue you in to other smaller buildings, as will residents in the area or other apartment shoppers.

Laurel, Md: What exactly does an apartment complex look into on your credit report? I haven't rented a place in about 10 years. What can I use as leverage to obtain an edge on getting an "APPROVED" on my application?

Thanks

Sara Gebhardt: Apartment owners/managers primarily look to see if your credit report is relatively "clean." This means you don't have too much outstanding debt and, if you had credit problems in the past, you have or are working to resolve them. If you are afraid your credit may affect your chances at getting a place, tell the manager and offer to pay a few months rent in advance and get a letter from your employer showing your good employement status. If you haven't rented in 10 years, proving you are reliable with your rental history probably wouldn't help too much.

relocating: I will be moving to the Metro Washington DC/MD area in June/July. Do you think I will be able to rent an apartment, if my rental history from another state is decent(I will be "breaking my lease" but will be giving notice and paying the appropriate fees) and I only have a temporary agency as my new local employer? Please respond.
Thanks
Patricia

Sara Gebhardt: Yes, you should be able to rent an apartment, especially if your rental history is good. You may want to get a letter of reference from your current manager that states you have paid rent on time and have been a good tenant. Once you are here, you may also want to be prepared to bolster your chances of getting a place you want by paying a few months rent in advance.

Alexandria, VA: Hi Sara,
My lease is up in August, and I am not sure what I should do. My current roommate and I get along well and manage to stay out of each other's way, a situation we enjoy. I would love to be able to live by myself but I'm not sure if that would be a smart move money-wise. I'd like to look, but then if I find it's unaffordable, I'd like to live with my roommate for another year. How should I go about searching without her finding out? Should I say anything to her? I would feel terrible telling her that I'm only going to live with her again if I can't afford to live by myself. I'd also hate to have to sneak around while I'm looking. In addition, we haven't discussed another year, so I don't even know if she would want to, but as soon as I bring it up, I feel I need to fess up about my true intentions. What do you think?

Sara Gebhardt: You should be straightforward with your roommate and not go behind her back while you look for another place. This will only create a rift in your relationship and cause tension in the remainder of your roommate situation. So, tell her exactly what you just told me. (Well, you might want to leave out the part about your wanting to sneak around.) If you want to live with your roommate for another year, tell her and see if she agrees. Tell her you want to live alone but think it would be financially better to wait a year. Also emphasize that you have a good relationship with your roommate and want to continue it in the meantime. It's not really about wanting to leave your particular roommate in a year, but about wanting to live without a roommate entirely.

Arlington, Va: Do you see rental rates going down or stabilizing in top end buildings in Va?

Sara Gebhardt: Don't take my word as fact, but I believe that rental rates for top end buildings in VA and elsewhere in the region are stabilizing. Their rents will likely not go down, however some are offering some "specials" in the form of no security deposit, one month free, etc. to attract residents.

re: other sources for rental listings: Websites like www.craigslist.org and www.dcpages.com list a lot of rentals that aren't advertised elsewhere. Often they have really good deals. Also, most of the apt buildings that don't do the classifieds and such (like Meridien etc.) do advertise in the rental handbooks you can pick up for free in those boxes near where newspapers are sold (like near the metro stations) and they also advertise on sites like apartments.com or rent.net (which has a free $100 back coupon thing for your rent). Also, a lot of landlords prefer to list in the realtors' MLS system which can be accessed through sites like www.fairfaxrealty.com .

Sara Gebhardt: This is a good tip. Web sites that allow free listings are often a great way to find out about available apartments.

Montgomery County, Maryland: My lease is due to expire this summer and I am sure that my landlord will raise the rent, if I decide to renew for another year. Do you have any suggestions or negotiation tactics which I could use to help persuade my landlord in painting my apartment. I like the apartment just fine, but it does really need a fresh coat. When I initally moved in I even offered to paint myself, but for reasons unknown to me, the landlord prefers for the apartment to be left in its original condition. Please help! Thanks.

Sara Gebhardt: Have you asked to have the place painted again? Often landlords will wait until a unit is vacated to upgrade it. If you can't get the landord to paint you a fresh coat, then you might think about moving out, or you could go the route of telling the landlord you really want to renew your lease, but can't see yourself living in it for another year as is. Just be prepared to move out if the landlord doesn't agree to paint it. You may want to anyway, because it's likely he/she may never re-paint it while you're there.

Arlington, VA: If you break your lease a few months early and pay the penalty stated in the contract will this become a black mark on your credit history and make it more dificult for you to get an apartment elsewhere or future loans, mortgages, etc?

Sara Gebhardt: Breaking your lease and paying the penalty stated in the contract should not hurt you too much. If you settle up with your management company, nothing should go on your credit history, so it shouldn't affect anything else. It may hinder finding an apartment elsewhere, but assuming you've got the money to pay the rent at a different apartment, it probably wouldn't deter property managers from renting to you.

WDC: Hello. I'm downsizing to an apartment from a home with patio. Is it appropriate to ask the building manager if I can bring my garden bench or chairs and place it on the common property since I won't have a patio? It seems like there might be space, but the question seems awkward. Is it?

Sara Gebhardt: No, it's not awkward. The worst your building manager can say is "no." And, depending on how the common property is furnished, he/she may actually say yes. After all, you'd be doing the building a favor by lending your goods to the community. There's no harm in asking.

Size Matters in DC: What is the difference between a studio, a jr. one bedroom and an efficiency?

Sara Gebhardt: Technically, studios are supposed to be a little larger and are generally more expensive than efficiencies. In reality, however, the two are interchangeable. A studio/efficiency apartment is an apartment without a bedroom. The living room, bedroom bathroom and kitchen all wrapped into one big area, although there are many different lay-outs. A jr. 1 bedroom is sometimes the same size, sometimes slightly larger than a studio/efficiency. It has a separate bedroom, which is commonly much smaller than the bedroom in a one bedroom. The difference is that the bedroom actually has its own area so that visitors don't have to stare your bed in the face when they sit on your couch.

Upper Burlieth, DC: I have a neighbor that likes to play his music really loud at night. I've told the building manager, but they seem helpless. Should I call the police? Can they help me? I don't know what else to do.

Sara Gebhardt: Try to talk to the building manager again. You should call the police only after exhausting all other options.

cap hill: Another source: The Washington Blade is the local gay paper, and I have found that the apartments are in great areas and were really nice!

Sara Gebhardt: another source for apartment listings

DC: Another lease-breaking question:
My lease is not specific about penalties for breaking it, but I may need to move due to unexpected personal circumstances....can the management legitimately charge me for this rest of the year? This is what they have indicated they would do if they can't find anyone to rent, but how do -I- know whether they really can or did find someone? I live in a well-maintained building in a desirable location, so I doubt they would not be able to find a new tenant.

Sara Gebhardt: Often, landlords will let you out of a lease if you have serious personal circumstances. By law, a landlord must look to fill your vacated apartment. If you're worried about it, offer to help find your landlord another tenant. You can use various web sites and newspapers and community bulletins to find people who are interested, especially if it's a good building in a good location.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama: I have a lot of boxes from buying furniture sitting in my apartment and I don't know wha to do with them. The trash chute in my building is tiny. Should there be a big dumpster in my building, or should I just leave them out in the hall? (on another floor, of course)

Sara Gebhardt: Every building has its own way of disposing trash. Why don't you ask your maintenance people or manager where to put your boxes? And why would you put them on another floor? Often people in this situation place them outside the trash chute, although building workers may prefer a different way of getting rid of big trash. Just ask.

md: why would breaking a lease hinder your chances of finding another apt if you pay all the fees associated with it? That's the point of the break clause. I'm a landlord, and while I'd prefer to NOT have to find another tenant, I can't hold it against someone if he/she pays me the fees and rents due until I find a new tenant. Geez.

Sara Gebhardt: Exactly. If you pay all the fees, there should be no problems.

VA: Regarding finding apartments...

Alexandria, and possibly other jurisdictions, offers free guides from their Offices of Housing that list all apartment buildings in the jurisdiction with more than 20 units. These lists include amenities and pricing. (Prices may be out of date, although they are updated annually.)

Sara Gebhardt: Here's another tip for finding a place.

for upper burlieth: um, have you tried actually talking to you NEIGHBOR? odds are s/he is completely unaware the music is distrubing you. And check out your local noise ordinances (often noise isn't checked between 10 and 10 pm, for example). The police can't do anything if the neighbor isn't breaking the law.

Sara Gebhardt: Here's a comment for the person who is having trouble with noise.

Dealing with noisy neighbors: The only good solution is to buy a house. I'm serious. I lived in an apartment in PG where the obnoxious neighbor was having loud parties from 2 to 4 am every day. The neighbor wouldn't answer the door to deal with complaints, the live-in apartment manager would bitch at the other tenants for having the gall to complain, and PG county police claimed that there was nothing they could do, although they did come out on a regular basis to attempt to break up the parties. (You could see their squad cars parked in the parking lot outside, so the neighbor's guests would merely hang out down the street, and once the police left, they came back to continue partying.)

Sara Gebhardt: And another.... Although it seems like an extreme approach to dealing with apartment noise. People who live in houses also sometimes contend with noisy neighbors, house parties, etc.

Arlington, VA: Is it riskier to rent from an apartment unit owner than from a building owner? I only ask b/c it seems like they don't rent for a living so maybe they aren't as professional.

Sara Gebhardt: It depends who the person is. Just because a landlord isn't as "professional" doesn't mean he/she won't be a good landlord. In fact, the person might be better than a building owner because he/she only owns one place and wants to make sure it stays in top condition. But, again, it all depends on who it is. Just do some background research on the manager and make sure you can trust him/her.

from upper burlieth: Of course I tried to talk to my Neighbor. But they're usually so stoned they don't turn down the radio!

Sara Gebhardt: That explains it....

Re: Cardboard boxes: Other suggestions for cardboard boxes:

-- RECYCLE them instead of adding to the waste stream.
-- Since April ends next month, why not see if anyone else in the building can use those boxes? When I cleared out my late mother's house, I couldn't get ENOUGH boxes. Just don't let them sit outside to become cockroach houseing complexes.

Sara Gebhardt: A suggestion for the cardbox disposal dilemma.

Arlington, Mass.: Sara - what is the best way to find single family houses for rent? We are two students who are going to be faced with commuting to different cities in opposite directions, and the area in between is quite rural. I've scoured apartments.com and e-mailed some real estate agents in the area. Any other ideas?

Sara Gebhardt: You can look in the rental ads in the paper to find houses to rent. It sounds like you're on the right track by getting in contact with real estate agents who know the area.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama: I would put my boxes on another floor so some other residents would get in trouble for leaving trash around. And I don't want my hallways to look like a dump.

Sara Gebhardt: If you don't want your hallways to look like a dump, then you might want to dispose of those boxes by taking them to a recycling place or local dumpster. I'm sure you wouldn't be too happy to get into trouble for other people dumping their trash outside your door.

New York, NY:
I have been dating my girlfriend on a long-distance basis for nearly two years and she is coming to New York where I currently am for good in the summer. At first, I was excitied to have her come here and for us to get a place together, but now I am not so sure. Do you think it is best for us to get our own places first, and then make a more informed decision about living together later?

Sara Gebhardt: Not sure what this has to do with apartment life, but perhaps you should just live separately for a while and go apartment shopping together....

Sterling, Virginia: I rent a very nice one bedroom apartment in a community run by a large corporation in Loudoun County. I am permitted to have 2 dogs in my apartment by paying an extra security deposit. I do in fact have two dogs. But my boyfriend has a dog too (which lives at his apartment). But as you can imagine we spent nights together and go back and forth between our apartments. The dogs come with us. So some nights (and entire weekends) there are 3 dogs in my apartment. They are well behaved and we are vigilant about picking up after them outside. The neighbors and staff can of course see that I am walking 3 dogs at times. No one has said anything. Do you think this could become a problem? If someone says something to me, how should I handle it? Thanks.

Sara Gebhardt: I'm not sure if this would become a problem. If other residents complain about you, you'll have to start keeping your boyfriends' dog at his place, as the rules do state that you can only have 2 dogs in your apartment. If residents complain directly to you, explain the situation. Unhappy residents, if they feel wronged in any way, will have no problem telling management on you. At which point, you should get your boyfriend to keep his dog at his place.

Sara Gebhardt: Looks like time is up. Sorry I didn't get to all of your questions, but I'll be back online a month from now on May 29. Same time, same place.

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