Terminating Lease Due to Bed Bugs

By Meradith

My husband, daughter and I moved into a managed townhouse community (conjoined row houses) in March 2010. By April, I realized that the house was infested with bed bugs. I went to the leasing office, who reassured me that the previous renters did not complain of bed bugs. They agreed to pay for the cost of the extermination, but I had to pay about $3000.00 to prepare my home for extermination (space bags, laundromat, bleach, etc.). Our home was bed bug free for about 3 months, before I realized we had them again. My landlord has once again agreed to pay for the extermination, but I have to pay the preparation costs. I spoke with my neighbor two doors away who informed me that her home was infested with bed bugs 30 days after her family moved in. At this point, I just want to terminate my lease and move to a new home as I cannot afford to continue addressing this issue every few months. I have lost several days of work due to this issue. Is there any way I can terminate my lease without being responsible for paying penalties to my current landlord? Please help!!!!

Meradith

Edited on: Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 1:37 am

3 Responses to “Terminating Lease Due to Bed Bugs”

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

Kara

October 6th, 2010 10:53 am

Yes, its possible to terminate your lease due to bed bugs, however it will require some help. The landlord will claim that they have been reasonable and fulfilled their legal requirement by addressing the problem quickly and at their cost. (with exception to your preparation cost)

So how can you get out of a lease due to bed bug problem…?

1) Sue your landlord. (not really sure how you go about this, but I know its an option)
2) File Bed Bug Complaint with the Rental Protection Agency. (That’s what I did to get out a lease for the same problem- bed bugs.)

When I filed a complaint to end my lease due a bed bug infestation, my landlord agreed to let me terminate my lease without penalty as long as I had the complaint record removed. I unwillingly agreed to have the complaint record removed in order to get out of my lease. I do feel somewhat guilty because now the landlord has a clean record not showing the bed bug problem which means that someone else will be a victim. I even admit that my acceptance of removing the complaint record was selfish, but it was an option to end my lease without penalty, so I took it. Can you really blame me?

The Mediator assigned to my case was thorough and provided continual updates on the status. Really, all I did was file the complaint and wait for the landlord to provide a fair solution. Due to my urgency to move, I quickly agreed. I did hire an exterminator to treat my unit right before I moved. I also took extra precautions to not bring the bed bugs to my new apartment.

I hope that helps you. That’s how I got out of my lease due to bed bugs, I imagine it would work for you too.

Kara
:)


Renter

October 7th, 2010 3:24 am

I’ve got a similar problem. My apartment has bed bugs and now my landlord is trying to charge me for treatment. ($1400) I have NO way to afford this. Luckily I found this post by another tenant that provided some great advice on how to handle bed bug infestations in apartment. Here is the link: http://www.rentalprotectionagency.com/blog/renter/apartment-bed-bugs-1/

It gave me a ton of hope. Its good to know that I do have some rights when it comes to bed bugs. So glad I found that post. Hope it helps you too.


David

September 7th, 2012 2:09 pm

Do you know how to deal with problem in London?
I have just moved into a new apt, I moved 10d ago.
I have dealt with bed bugs since moved, but the landlord seems really unwilling to be helpful.
I do want to cancel my contract.
Do you know how can I manage it?


Close


Yes, the RPA® Can Help You!

Filing an official complaint is the nation's fastest way to solve tenant problems.

Not Ready? Learn more...

Virginia Complaint Filling Deadline  Tips/Suggestion

Need Help Filing Your Complaint?

Agents Available Mon- Fri 10am to 10pm

Recently Resolved Complaints:

See how the Nation's Rental Authority has helped thousands of tenants already!

Ask Question:

Post a new question to the RPA Tenants rights forum.

You Have Tenant Rights.
Recently Posted Questions:

Over 4,000 questions have been asked by tenants including these new posts:

Tenant Rights Categories

Popular categories about renters rights.