Sentence:  Although economic and personal circumstances vary widely among those now choosing apartments , Leo J. Pantas , vice president of a hardware manufacturing company , pointed out recently that many apartment seekers seem to have one characteristic in common : a desire for greater convenience and freedom from the problems involved in <WSD>maintaining</WSD> a house . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"