The house currently functions as the leasing office for an apartment complex.

But the daughter showed up at the building's leasing office and signed the papers without Ms. Anish.

In the bigger buildings, for instance, brokers sign their clients into the managing agent's on-site leasing office before showing an apartment.

"We'll wait until the first of March, then visit the leasing office and convince them that we want to renew for another six months."

A spokeswoman for the leasing office, who declined to give her name, said phone installation and cell phone reception have been problems for some tenants.

Recently, every leasing office has been offering bonuses to attract tenants.

Because of the researchers' work, the Smart Space team recommended scrapping the old-fashioned leasing office and replacing it with a "welcoming center."

But it is easy for prospective tenants to get substantially better offers by calling a leasing office.

He glanced through the glass windows of the building's leasing office, which is adjacent to his own, and saw puddles of blood on the floor.

The first floor houses the leasing office for Old Town Lofts buildings.