There are many highs and lows to renting a house or apartment. In the past, renting was my favorite because it required no lawn maintenance, and I knew any issues would be taken care of without my spending a cent. After reporting an issue, I was quickly informed that property managers often ignore these issues. During a hot summer, that may have meant dealing with a broken air conditioner for over a week. My landlord’s borderline-illegal practices and his property management office really made me angry. I assumed that this time around I would have a better experience renting directly from the owner of a rental lake house. As a result, we were left dealing with more responsibilities on our own. According to the contract, I am responsible for all plumbing repairs. It was later learned the cover-up stemmed from their understanding of the home’s faulty plumbing and their complicity in it. To clean my stone grout, I had to call a commercial cleaning company after I moved out. The grout between the rooms in that apartment had become severely stained over the years since we had lived there for years. Even with bleach diluted in water and a mop, I was unable to fade the grout color. The commercial floor cleaning company we hired did an excellent job cleaning the grout in less than an hour. The stone grout looked amazing after the floor cleaners had finished cleaning.