If you've got burning questions about your housing situation and need free or low-cost advice, one option to consider is contacting a housing counselor near you that has received approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Hundreds of such HUD-approved agencies across the United States have helped apartment owners and renters alike address a wide range of concerns.

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The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the University of Kentucky yesterday released the findings of their "2010 Comprehensive Global Bed Bug Study," based on responses from nearly 1,000 U.S. and international pest management companies.

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Some landlords try to impose bedroom-sharing restrictions on families with children. Whatever their reasons may be, landlords who try to regulate sleeping arrangements can delay a family's apartment search or lead the tenants to pay more money than they budgeted.

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Part of feeling safe in your own home is knowing that you trust your roommate.

If you have reason to worry that your roommate might take or use your belongings without your permission when you're not home, you can't fully enjoy your apartment living. Worse, if a roommate does invade your privacy or disrespect boundaries, it's a sign you should consider looking for a new person to share your apartment.

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Some apartment hunters think that as long as a landlord doesn't reject an application, they can't possibly be liable for discrimination.

But many landlords have gotten into serious fair housing trouble from a practice known as "steering." It's not as direct as rejecting someone's apartment application, but it's still a violation of federal law.

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