Bed Bug/ Rental horror, needing help desparetly!

By Erica

   I’m a 20 year old female living with my mother and younger brother in a 2 family house. Our first floor apartment has ceiling water damage from the roof leaking from our landlords appartment above us, black mold in our bathroom that keeps coming back a couple of days after we’ve cleaned it, and now a bed bug infestation that’s litteraly eating us alive. My family lives on a very low income due to my mother’s physical diabilities (hence why I still live with her), and due to the fact of my pregnancy and being recently un-employed from quiting my job. Now I know it sound’s weird that I quit with what I have going on at home, but the physical demand of my job was to much of a risk for miscarying my child. We do get assistance from the state but’s it’s not enough with the issue’s we’ve been battling on our own.

   The present problem now is the infestaion of bed bugs and the negligence of our landlord on our other housing issue’s we’ve been having and notifying him of them. He has told my oldest sister and our neighbors that the bug issue we have is not his problem and we’re repsonsable for it. He’s pad locked the basement we’re suppose to have access to because our fuse box is down there and the exterminator wont come out to do an inspection cause we don’t have access to the whole house. We’ve been battling this bed bug issue since the begining of july and my landlord has been well awear of it since we found out. This issue has drained us financially to the point we haven’t been able to pay our rent for the past 2 months, and we can barely afford our utilitlies. My mother also has a skin conditoin and is allergic to bug bites so she’s in real bad shape and I’m doig my best to keep my family together. I’m struggling in my condition and now with our landlord evicting us for non-payment of rent, having to move my family into my grandmother’s house, and loosing about $3,000 worth of furniture that we can’t replace with our low income and now we have to find a storage unit for the remainder of our belongings. I physically, emotionally, and phscologicaly can’t handle the stress anymore, Is there anything I can do to help my family with this problem? I’m running out of options and still have to go to court for the eviction with my mother, and find a new job in the prosses. Please Someone answer my Prayers on this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Edited on: Sunday, February 2nd, 2014 6:52 am

2 Responses to “Bed Bug/ Rental horror, needing help desparetly!”

My response: (We welcome stories, examples, explanations, answers and a touch of your personality)
 

Randy

August 31st, 2010 8:21 am

Bed bug problems are a huge problem in the rental industry. If this were just a bed bug issue, the answer I could provide you would be simple and clear… file a complaint with the RPA. However, since this is really a non-payment of rent issue, well you’re really in a bad spot. No matter what issue is effecting the property, the major breach is the non-payment of rent.

While bed bug treatment is 99% the landlords responsibility, because you have allowed yourself to get 2 months behind on rent and are now being evicted… you’re a bit on the low luck side. If you can bring your rent current before the court date, then and only then do you really have much ability to pursue the bed bug infestation problem.

Bed bugs are a big problem. The RPA claims that it is the #2 most popular complaint filed by tenants. So, if you need help getting your landlord to treat for bed bugs, file a complaint. However, you still really need to address the late rent problems.


Randy

August 31st, 2010 8:24 am

I forgot to mention…

TAKE CARE OF THE BED BUG PROBLEM <> if you don’t rid your rental from bed bugs before you move, you will bring them with you to your new place. Not only is that unfair to the relative that is allowing you to move in with them, it is just plain irresponsible.

You MUST treat the unit for bed bugs prior to moving OR it will spread to the next place!!


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