About Apartment Living / Rental

Decking Another's Halls Was Act of Folly

2009-11-23T11:57:33Z

When a family returned to their Herscher, Illinois apartment last Monday, they found, much to their surprise, that it was dressed up with lights and other decorations for Christmas. No one in the family could have done it, they didn't hire any contrators, and the building's management certainly didn't provide such a service.

It turns out the culprit was a teenage friend of the family, who managed to gain access to the apartment and quietly accomplish the holiday adornment while the family was away for the weekend, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The girl apparently only left decorations and, according to the Associated Press, took nothing from the apartment. Luckily for her, the family has reportedly decided not to press charges.

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(Photo � Mieke de Leeuw / SXC)

Decking Another's Halls Was Act of Folly originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 11:57:33.

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Having People Over for Thanksgiving?

2009-11-20T13:00:05Z

If you're hosting a Thanksgiving get-together this Thursday at your apartment, catering to your guests will no doubt be your top priority.

But don't be a turkey and forget about being considerate to your neighbors. It doesn't take much effort, and it can be a great way to maintain a respectful relationship with the people who live around you.

Here are tips for how you can practice "neighbor-friendly entertaining" at your apartment this Thanksgiving.

(Photo � David Sinofsky / SXC)

Having People Over for Thanksgiving? originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 13:00:05.

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Unusual Circumstances Lead to Unrelated Apartment Marijuana Arrests

2009-11-19T18:42:15Z

It's not at all uncommon for police officers to find drugs on suspects and arrest them for it. But here are two recent stories of arrests involving marijuana possession at an apartment that you don't read about every day.

Today, apartment roommates in Wichita, Kansas called the police to report that robbers were making off with their marijuana. After the police apprehended the robbers and found the drugs in question, they proceeded to arrest the tenants, who now face charges of possession and intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a school, according to UPI.com.

On November 6, a landlord in Cambria, New York was arraigned on charges of second-degree criminal possession of marijuana and unlawfully growing cannabis, and a tenant has been indicted on the same charges. But,�as The Buffalo News reported, the police only discovered the drug and indoor plants because of a 911 call about a man with�a gun, which turned out to be false.

(Photo � Jorge Barrios / Wikimedia Commons)

Unusual Circumstances Lead to Unrelated Apartment Marijuana Arrests originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 18:42:15.

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Does Multifamily Housing Lead to Overcrowded Schools?

2009-11-17T18:54:44Z

According to a recent study of communities across Long Island, New York, the idea that apartment complexes house more school-age children per unit than single-family homes is a myth.

The Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP), a not-for-profit affordable housing developer, commissioned the study to address communities' concerns that multifamily housing leads to overcrowding in schools, putting an added strain on school districts' wallets. These concerns have led residents to fear school tax increases, which in turn, according to Newsday, have led to the rejection of several high-density development proposals on Long Island.

As Newsday points out, however, the study's child-per-unit measure doesn't account for the possibility that the total number of school-age children in a particular apartment complex could be higher than the total from all single- or two-family homes that would fit on a property of the same size.

The study, which was performed by the Long Island Association, a business advocacy group, looked at 27,594 units�from 299 apartment complexes. The results were presented to LIHP on Monday.

Do you think that multifamily housing leads to overcrowding of schools? Should apartment complex proposals ever be rejected for fear of school tax hikes? Do the results of this study sway your opinion on this issue?

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(� David Buffington / Getty Images)

Does Multifamily Housing Lead to Overcrowded Schools? originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 18:54:44.

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Apartment Manager Arrested for Money Order Disorder

2009-11-13T08:10:54Z

If you're a tenant who pays the rent in full and on time, the last thing you want to hear is that your hard-earned money isn't quite making it into your landlord's bank account.

That's what happened to tenants at a Baton Rouge, Louisiana apartment complex, where an apartment manager now stands accused of stealing over $12,000. According to a report from The Advocate, the manager allegedly took tenants' rent by making their money orders out to herself. She also�allegedly fabricated receipts for uncompleted work.

The manager, who claims she needed the�extra money to cope with hard times,�faces 22 counts of forgery and two counts of theft.

Apartment Manager Arrested for Money Order Disorder originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 08:10:54.

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A Sleepwalker Awakens to a Nightmare

2009-11-12T09:22:44Z

Three Iowa City men face up to five years in prison for beating up a sleepwalker whom they discovered in one of the alleged attacker's apartment. It's not clear from press reports how the sleepwalker, who was reportedly staying with�a friend across the hall, secured entry into the apartment. But when the three men returned from a late night of drinking, the sight of a stranger on the couch put them into assault mode, according to the local ABC affiliate.

Fortunately for the sleepwalker, his friend intervened, saving him from greater bodily harm.

How would you react if you returned to your apartment to find a stranger asleep on your couch? Were the attackers justified in taking such action against�the man, given that he didn't belong in their apartment? Should the attackers have first called 911 or tried to awaken the intruder with questions, rather than with kicks and punches? Even though the man was sleepwalking, should he be arrested for trespassing?

(� Siri Stafford / Getty Images)

A Sleepwalker Awakens to a Nightmare originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 09:22:44.

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Can Landlords Make You Pay for Having Kids?

2009-11-08T22:47:38Z

A landlord told a young mother in Grand Rapids, Michigan that if she rented a duplex, she would have to pay a double security deposit -- because she had three kids, according to The Grand Rapids Press. What that apartment hunter didn't know at the time was that the landlord was violating federal law.

The Fair Housing Act bans discrimination based on "familial status," which means landlords can't treat you worse than other tenants just because you have one or more children. Landlords can, however,�adopt and enforce rules that single out children under certain circumstances.

Here's how to know whether your landlord is unfairly discriminating against children.

(� Neils Timmer / SXC)

Can Landlords Make You Pay for Having Kids? originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 22:47:38.

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Tracking Bedbugs to Help You Avoid Them

2009-11-06T10:51:35Z

As an apartment dweller, the last thing you want for your home is a pest problem. When it comes to bedbugs, the mere thought of an infestation can make many tenants' skin crawl.

It's no wonder why bedbugs have a bad reputation -- they're tiny insects that reproduce quickly, feed on blood, and are often very difficult to get rid of once discovered. Unfortunately, from Bryan, Texas to Lakewood, New Jersey, reports of bedbug outbreaks can be found regularly by perusing the news.

If you want to avoid these nasty critters,�a free resource may provide some help. An online�database known as "The Bedbug Registry" aims to keep track of bedbug infestations so, for instance,�you can learn if an apartment building you want to live in has�experienced any bedbug problems recently.

Find out more about this useful resource and how it might help you.

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Tracking Bedbugs to Help You Avoid Them originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 10:51:35.

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Can a Ceiling Fan Help You Keep Warm?

2009-11-04T17:53:33Z

If you've got a ceiling fan in your apartment, you've no doubt used it to help cool off during warmer months.

But what you might not know is that many ceiling fans (compare prices) are versatile and can also accomplish the opposite goal, helping you keep warm during the winter.

Are you wondering�whether your apartment's ceiling fan can do this? Here's how�to tell.

(Photo � Rene Cerney / SXC)

Can a Ceiling Fan Help You Keep Warm? originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 17:53:33.

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Is Your Landlord Willing to Negotiate Rent?

2009-11-02T18:48:34Z

If you're considering approaching your landlord to negotiate your rent, the results of a recent online survey by the National Association of Independent Landlords may give you added confidence.

More than two-thirds of the 496 independent landlords across the United States who responded to the survey indicated they would be willing to lower rents to help tenants in need.

Among these landlords who are willing to negotiate, the majority (61%) would slash rents up to 5%, a strong minority (29%) would go as far as cutting rent by up to 10%, and the remaining respondents would consider even steeper cuts to retain good tenants who are strapped for cash.

Already, roughly one-third (32%) of these�landlords appear to have put their money where their mouth is, claiming to have discounted rent at their buildings at least once in the past 18 months.

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Is Your Landlord Willing to Negotiate Rent? originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 18:48:34.

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