Comments on: Who pays for bedbug removal?

By: Crystal

Crystal — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 05:03:20 +0000

I’m going through this problem right now for 7 months. I am calling an attorney tomorrow due to my landlords breach of implied warranty of habitability. Bed bugs are considered parasites which means they can cause an unsiafe living environment. My landlords quit spraying months ago after me calling and texting and telling then when I showed up personally to pay the rent. Apparently, this complex has a history of bed bugs the apartment right next to mine had then a few months before I moved in…And 2 weeks after I moved in I was being eaten alive. I thought it was an allergic reaction to something. Turns out it was bed bugs. The tenants on the other side of me told me that the other apartment beside mine had bed bugs a few months before I moved in so I should check for them and she was being bitten, too…Both of our apartments were infested with bed bugs and no one was doing anything about it. We are consulting a lawyer who has been in the business for 50 years (a family friend referred us to him she used to work with him) and he does free consultation and I won’t have to pay him unless he wins. I plan to sue for damages to recover my belongings, rent paid to date since the infestation, pain and suffering for the last 7 months, and if I can get it punitive damages. The land lord threatened to evict me if I brought an inspector in or sought legal help, he also said he can’t afford to have them exterminated…Meaning he was going to evict my family and then since he doesn’t have the money to treat the place, he was going to rent it out again knowing of the infestation which is illegal. I’ve spent hours upon hours upon days and weeks researching every angle. I called someone fixing to take her bar in the state I live in and she confirmed I have a case and referred me to the lawyer I posted about. I even believe the spread of this infestation was due to their negligence. Who knows how this will go. But, I’ve been assured I have several rights here. I would talk to others in your apartment building/complex and see if there has been a history of bed bugs. If it was recent enough you can prove you didn’t bring them which will strengthen your case. I wouldn’t pay for the treatment if I didn’t cause them. We didn’t and our landlord refuses to spray or try and get rid of them. And we can’t move because we don’t want to take them with us and they hide in EVERYTHING! They can go months and up to one year without food. So, you can think you’ve gotten rid of them and then they will show back up. We can’t move because if we take them with us the new land lord could sue us for damages. We can’t move because we can’t afford to replace everything and I don’t think we should have to.

By: law webs » bed bug law uk who pays

law webs » bed bug law uk who pays — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:02:50 +0000

[…] to web 1.Who pays for bedbug removal? | Rental Advice Forum | Rental … Jul 7, 2010 … Any knowledge on the AZ law on BB removal?? Thanks in advance for any and all […]

By: Paul Hibbert

Paul Hibbert — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:34:04 +0000

Bed bugs are the worst! That’s a good question, who should be liable. I stayed in a hotel in New York and ended up bringing them back to my house. I was worried about my kids, too. I needed a non-toxic solution and didn’t want to leave my house for too long. I lucked out and found these guys.http://www.decongreeninc.com they really took care of the problem.

By: Yolanda Williams

Yolanda Williams — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:50:19 +0000

We, about 1/3 of the tenants, are battling bed bugs right now. Why can’t the dumb-ass landlord remove the mattresses and box springs, treat the room for pests (I mean a real fumigation or extermination — whichever will get rid of the BBs), and then place new mattresses and box springs in the room? THEY’RE TOO CHEAP! That’s why.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:34:18 +0000

Dude if you got bedbugs your in for a long battle. I battled with my manger about paying for bedbug extermination. They gave me the same crap answers and said they weren’t responsible. Like you, I finally learned about my options and filed a complaint.

The agent assigned to my case got my landlord to pay for most of the costs. I was just glad I had a legal option available. I knew I couldn’t afford an attorney (they wanted my right arm just to talk to me) If your landlord remains as a piece of crap and tries to force you to pay, file a complaint.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:40:12 +0000

How is responsible for bedbug removal? Landlord or Tenant? In most cases it is the responsibility of the landlord. The problem is that the landlord will usually state that they are not responsible for pest removal. However, bedbugs are very different that your typical pest. Bedbugs are not bugs, they are actually parasites.

So, if your unit is infested with parasites, that would mean that your landlord is not providing a safe liveable apartment. (something they are required to do) In other States such as New York, the bedbug problems are so bad that there are now laws on the books that specifically hold landlords responsible for bedbug removal. New York has established a bedbug task force to oversee the infestations.

In my opinion if there are laws on the books in other states that have passed and hold the landlord 100% responsible for bedbug treatment, that would indicate that the bedbug infestation is much more than just a pest problem.

Hopefully you can work out something with your landlord. If not I read that the RPA has a special Bedbug Division that handles just bedbug complaints. Here’s a link if you need to file a bedbug complaint against your landlord. (It will require a $35 filing fee if you go that route) https://www.rentalprotectionagency.com/complaint_center_form.php

Good luck!

Jeff
Property Manager