What is the Tenant's responsibility when bedbugs or roaches appear?

wrong, tenant pays.

My tenant paid for half the cost of the eradication.

I'm a temant. I moved to a new apartment and two weeks into moving in my kids were complainig about mosquito bites.Thats what I asume untill one nite I saw the bed bugs. I told the landord.They wanted me to pay for all units, So took Pictures and call the county. then they took care of it. I thougt I woud probaly sue. bed bugs can spread to other parts like couches and other funiture. And did you guys know even if the apparment looks clean doesnt mean that there no bed bugs.They live in carpet or the celling. They can also live up to 10 months with out a host.

I am an exterminator in new york. They just passed legislation in new jersey making it the property owners responsibility.

www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A2500/2072_I1.HTM

the legislation J is referring to.

Bed bus is a bad problem, growing 70% in the last 3 years.

Did you know that almost 63% of all statistics are made up on the spot?

Just because you are clean doesnot mean you cannot get bed bugs. in a multi dwelling place they can move from apartments to another. The landlord should pay for the exterminations. Bed bugs are becoming a menace.

We are tenants in a triplex and we found out that the basement apartment had bedbugs and soon after we contracted them. Since then our landlord has sprayed twice and the problem is still here. Is it the landlord responsibility to continue until the bed bugs are completely gone??

The thing with bedbugs is definitely a quandry. The pest control companies will come out and eradicate them but it's a hard process for both the tenant and the landlord. The pest control company is not able to guarantee that they won't come back. I don't think it's fair that one person is responsible for the costly treatment. If you owned your own home and got bedbugs you would have to pay for it yourself. Bedbugs come in on used furniture and luggage. One must be careful of what they bring into their home. The tenant that had bed bugs in my complex was a person that loved yard sales and swap meets. The tenant prior did not have bed bugs. Wouldn't it seem likely that the new tenant brought them in one way or another? Why should the landlord take full responsibility? We shared the cost with the tenant and the tenant had to get rid of just about all of the furniture and clothing in the home and had to promise not to bring in used furniture for the duration of the tenancy. So far they have not returned. If bedbugs are a big concern for you, maybe an agreement prior to move in would be the way to go, and have a pest control company come in and sign off the unit as bedbug free before you set up housekeeping.

In California how many days notice must a landlord give when he is having apt tented for extermination and residents must vacate for 3 days? I thought 30 but I was given 6 and I will have house guests. Thank you.

letnif4pet in San Diego, California said: In California how many days notice must a landlord give when he is having apt tented for extermination and residents must vacate for 3 days? I thought 30 but I was given 6 and I will have house guests. Thank you.

Well...... it all depends. Does your lease mention anything about such tasks? The standard lease I use (and have used in the past) specifically mentions that such tasks (fumigation, etc.) can be done and the LL is not on the hook for tenants having to find other lodging for the days they cannot stay in their apartments (although the landlord has given enough of a discount on that month's rent to more than pay for a hotel for a few days).

I don't think there is anything in the law that specifies exactly how much notice a LL has to give tenants (not that I remember, anyway). But I would say at least a month's notice is necessary and reasonable. Since fumigation isn't an urgent/emergency task, a good LL would give at least that much heads-up to his tenants.

Six days is not reasonable notice. Not a chance.

In my apartment we dont have a landlord only a owner. But he hates to come around because he's alway crying broke. Me and my moms found out we have bed bugs and the owner is trying to found anything to make it our problem. But the thing is in april we told he something was bitting us really bad . Not just us but the dog too. So just in the past two month he has been turning he's phone off and the only way he could help is frogger this place.That is making them more mad and come out like carzy for the past 3 weeks me and my mom have been sleeping in a chair. Last week he did a heating treatment himself and guess what they came back the same day. I wash all the clothes and everything he told me to and they came back. Not only has he think he knows anything about bed bug but he is say to everyone in that apartment that it's all our failts. Also saying that our dog who get flea treatment two time a month is bring them in. I told him we would pay for any treatment with a person who knows what they are doing and he would not agree with that. I dont know what to do with the guy I dont have the money to move so what can I do.

i just found out that before we moved in jan 3 2010 that almost everyone had bed bugs and had to pay for eveything. more than 1000

monique in san diego ca said: In my apartment we dont have a landlord only a owner.

The owner IS the landlord.

I had a tenant report that she had some strange bugs in her apartment. I had the xterminator out here next day and confirmed bed bugs. Tenant here for 3 years without bug complaint and suddenly bugs. We told her we will not pay and she is responsble. That being said we said we would work with her on the payments - I don't think she could pay even 50/month but we have to recover the cost of approx. $1000. She is section 8 tenant. Scheduled service for next day. It was Friday we scheduled service for Monday. She argued everything in the book to postpone the service. We said we would make payment arrangements, she had to prep her apartment, clean out debris, move furniture to make walls accessible. She could'nt do that either. We offered to provide physical help with moving stuff. She insisted she wanted to be present. No you CANNOT be present Ms Tenant as it is required that you vacate for minumum 4 hours during treatment. So going back and forth thought we had it settled. Then, Monday, the pest service tells me she called and cancelled the service and said she would let them know she is ready for them. I hit the roof! Turns out she had taken in furniture in the past few months, had piles of boxes in the place and piles of stuff. Great breeding ground. So atty said terminate with 60 day notice. What a nightmare. I feel bad for NY with the requirement that landlords pay to exterminate. During our research in different methods to do this I learned about a heat method. Bed bugs cannot survive above 120 degrees. Some pest services have a technology where they heat the place to 140 degrees and kill everything. It's very interesting but very expensive. Dissapointing to see what happened with you and sorry to hear about your experience Monique. Your landlord sounds like a jerk.

monique in san diego ca said: In my apartment we dont have a landlord only a owner. But he hates to come around because he's alway crying broke. Me and my moms found out we have bed bugs and the owner is trying to found anything to make it our problem. But the thing is in april we told he something was bitting us really bad . Not just us but the dog too. So just in the past two month he has been turning he's phone off and the only way he could help is frogger this place.That is making them more mad and come out like carzy for the past 3 weeks me and my mom have been sleeping in a chair. Last week he did a heating treatment himself and guess what they came back the same day. I wash all the clothes and everything he told me to and they came back. Not only has he think he knows anything about bed bug but he is say to everyone in that apartment that it's all our failts. Also saying that our dog who get flea treatment two time a month is bring them in. I told him we would pay for any treatment with a person who knows what they are doing and he would not agree with that. I dont know what to do with the guy I dont have the money to move so what can I do.

i just found out that before we moved in jan 3 2010 that almost everyone had bed bugs and had to pay for eveything. more than 1000

Move

T said: I currently have a tenant that has been in one of my units for 9mos. The tenant before her was OCD clean and would alert me to the smallest thing such as gnats or fruitflies. The current tenant has bedbugs. It's going to cost 2k for the process of extermination. I feel she brought them in as she is a clutter freak and digs in the trash for recyclables. Can I make her pay for the extermination or is it the Landlord responsibility? This is in California. I'd really like to know what to do. I've already hired the exterminators and I will pay them, but should the tenant reimburse?

We have attached an addendum to our lease that very clearly sets forth tenant responsibility in incidences of infestation. We worked this out with a legal firm that represents numerous providers that service a similar population.

There are people who are infested with bedbugs who will move into uninfested homes and then call the health department claiming that the home was infested.THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY THEIR RENT . THEY MOVE AND LEAVE THE LANDLORD WITH VERMIN INFESTED PROPERTY. THEY USE CHEAP REMEDIES THAT DON'T WORK AND THINK THAT MOVING WILL RID THEM OF THEIR NASTY BUGS. THEY GO TO WORK, SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND ALLOW GUESTS TO COME INTO THEIR HOME. THEY ARE SPREADING THEIR FILTH AROUND. UNSUSPECTING LANDLORDS ARE THE VICTIMS OF THESE CREEPS. EVICT THEM AND THEN HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED UP AND THEN WRITE IT INTO THE LEASE THAT ALL INFESTATIONS ARE TO BE PAID FOR BY THE TENANTS USING A REPUTABLE EXTERMINATOR. ALSO CHECK WITH THE PREVIOUS LANDLORD BEFORE ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO YOUR HOME. THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL LEACHES . ALSO LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF THEIR BEDDING AND BELONGINGS BEFORE THEY MOVE THEIR FILTH INTO YOUR HOME. *HAVE THEM SIGN A RELEASE OF INFORMATION THAT YOUR LAWYER CAN DRAW UP SO THAT PREVIOUS LANDLORD'S WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH ABOUT THEM.HR3

About five years ago, my roommate and I dealt with bedbugs in our apartment. It was a nightmare.

I would definitely do more research, as I did when I had to deal with them, on this topic. You will find that clutter and dirt have nothing to do with bedbugs being in someone's apartment, or why they're there. The cleanest and most pristine hotels have been infested with bedbugs.

Bedbugs are travelers. BUT they travel with ANYONE. A neat freak may pick up one inadvertently in his or her suitcase, in a second-hand piece of furniture they've bought, or his or her pet may bring one in, since bedbugs are akin to ticks.

Bedbugs feed off of humans. Not off of crumbs, dust, dirt or other waste products. Therefore, the presence of those is not indicative or predictive of whether or not someone will have bedbugs in his or her apartment.

Again, you might want to do more research before you make such harsh judgments about people and/or situations of which you don't know all the facts. Yes, bedbugs are a nightmare to get rid of. And you have my sympathy there, as someone who went through hell getting rid of them and half of my stuff, since the critters are so tiny and thin that they can get into the tiniest of crevices, and you can't always be sure that they aren't there.

In general, as it's been said above, California is seeing a resurgence with this problem. It isn't the fault of one person or a group of people. You who are so harsh in your judgments and statements may one day find yourself having to deal with the nightmare that bedbugs bring to tenants. And you may find yourself on the receiving end of the same judgmental statements as you've written here. I don't think you'll like receiving or hearing them any more than anyone else would.

About five years ago, my roommate and I dealt with bedbugs in our apartment. It was a nightmare.

I would definitely do more research, as I did when I had to deal with them, on this topic. You will find that clutter and dirt have nothing to do with bedbugs being in someone's apartment, or why they're there. The cleanest and most pristine hotels have been infested with bedbugs.

Bedbugs are travelers. BUT they travel with ANYONE. A neat freak may pick up one inadvertently in his or her suitcase, in a second-hand piece of furniture they've bought, or his or her pet may bring one in, since bedbugs are akin to ticks.

Bedbugs feed off of humans. Not off of crumbs, dust, dirt or other waste products. Therefore, the presence of those is not indicative or predictive of whether or not someone will have bedbugs in his or her apartment.

Again, you might want to do more research before you make such harsh judgments about people and/or situations of which you don't know all the facts. Yes, bedbugs are a nightmare to get rid of. And you have my sympathy there, as someone who went through hell getting rid of them and half of my stuff, since the critters are so tiny and thin that they can get into the tiniest of crevices, and you can't always be sure that they aren't there.

In general, as it's been said above, California is seeing a resurgence with this problem. It isn't the fault of one person or a group of people. You who are so harsh in your judgments and statements may one day find yourself having to deal with the nightmare that bedbugs bring to tenants. And you may find yourself on the receiving end of the same judgmental statements as you've written here. I don't think you'll like receiving or hearing them any more than anyone else would.

Whoops! Sorry - my comment posted twice.

Bedbugs are not just a nuisance, but also a health risk to everyone in the apartment unit and complex. That said, the cost of hiring an exterminator should not fall solely on the landlord. First of all, if the tenant has lived there for a number of months and suddenly has bedbugs, it's safe to assume that the tenant brought the pest with them. (Of course, if they were present in an adjacent unit, but that unit's tenant didn't report it, the pest could have spread.) The tenant should pay at least half of the cost, if not all. Landlords should not bear the cost because they didn't bring the pest, but they might do it if they're being nice or the law says so.

Keep this in mind: If the landlord has to pay and continue to pay for pest control to keep bedbugs and other vermin away, the tenant's rent will go up to recover the cost. One way or another, the landlord will get the money back. So it would be best for the tenant(s) to work something out with the landlord.

And secondly, tenants bringing in second-hand or off-the-street furniture and mattresses are asking for trouble. If you're going to do that, inspect and clean the furniture or mattress before bringing them in the building. Mattresses (with the exception of foam mattresses) can harbor bedbugs in the seams and inside, out of sight of human eyes. (If you've seen those commercials selling new mattresses to replace your old and possibly infested mattress, there's truth in advertising.) Again, this isn't the landlord's fault, but it will become the landlord's problem and everyone involved. The burden shouldn't fall on the landlord alone or at all. Tenants need to act responsibly to help avoid this problem and keep their costs from rising.

I agree that if the situation warrants it, the tenant and landlord should split the cost for treatment. If you dont know where they came from why would only one party pay the entire fee?

[tenant moved into apartment in Jan no complaints in april they have bed bugs no other apartment has the problem and previous tenants did not who pays tenant or landlord

Four months might not be considered "long" enough, my guess would be the landlord. that's what I think a judge would say.

Our building is approximately 50 years old. We never had an infestation of any kind. We recently rented to a young mother with two children; they moved in October 2010. Two days ago she called and told us she thinks she has bedbugs; she have been scratching fo a few weeks; but didn't think anything of it. She was reading two days ago and saw bedbugs crawling on her bed. We had the all three units inspected; hers was the only one with bedbugs. She told us that she was given a mattress by a friend, and it was in their gargage. She probably didn't even inspect it, as she is a filthy clutter pig, as well as her children. I was shock when I went into the apt, clutter everywhere, dirt and filth all over the place; her bedroom, you couldn't even walk with the piles of clothing; her daughter's had a dirty stench when I opened it up, also piles and dirt and scrap everywhere, they had no hangers to hand clothing, thrown throughout the apt. Her son's room filthy wrappers on floor, dirt scatter throughout his room, clothes are over the room; piles of clothing and scrap in the livingroom; and even the kitchen; the stove filthy; dishes & sink filthy. The two bathrooms filthy; one toilet bowl not flushed; one rust in the bowl, mirrors dirty, etc. And they all have terrible perspiration oder. Since she brought in the bedbugs, and two apts are bedbug free so far she should be responsible I would believe. I really want to call in the board of health. I'm going to go by her last landlord because I noticed on the lease she moved three times in the last 3 1/2 years? I would not have rented to her but the apt was empty for a while and my husband made the horrendous decision to rent to her! Who should pay for this extermination. Help?

I hope you took pictures when you entered. If not, do it.
I would have her move out due to the clutter, surely yourlease covers that. Get the place exterminated, pay for it, and then sue her in small claims for half of the bill. You probably wont ever see payment but there would be a judgement on her credit report.

Thanks. Yes, I took pictures! Of course we took care of the exterminating of her apartment. We certainly didn't want infestation thoughout the building. We had heat treatment. She'll pay for it; unforunately, by monthly payments. If she reinfests, we'll get her evicted; if she continues to live the way she does, we'll evict. Even after we were told the bedbugs are all dead; I still couldn't sleep, and of course our apt was very still so hot last evening as well; thank good for good ole AC. Again thanks.

I moved into an apartment a multi plex building that I have lived in for years. Landlord said the people living downstairs have bed bugs and are a mess, they're pounding on walls cause of the bugs it must have been bad. I woke up one night with one on me and that was all I saw for a while, until the people downstairs were evicted and that apartment was not only vacant for a month but also renovated, and then I saw more than a dozen. It's awful and he won't get pest control in here. The lady in the apartment next to me has them. I suspected I had them because I had a rash of hives all over my arm, someone told me that's what bites look like sometimes, I'm sensitive to the bites, I don't know what else to do and being that these things are spreading so fast where can I go that won't have them? I can't afford to buy new furniture. I'm so mad. He says almost all the units here have them. It's a nightmare.

Tina in Chatsworth, California said: About five years ago, my roommate and I dealt with bedbugs in our apartment. It was a nightmare.

I would definitely do more research, as I did when I had to deal with them, on this topic. You will find that clutter and dirt have nothing to do with bedbugs being in someone's apartment, or why they're there. The cleanest and most pristine hotels have been infested with bedbugs.

Bedbugs are travelers. BUT they travel with ANYONE. A neat freak may pick up one inadvertently in his or her suitcase, in a second-hand piece of furniture they've bought, or his or her pet may bring one in, since bedbugs are akin to ticks.

Bedbugs feed off of humans. Not off of crumbs, dust, dirt or other waste products. Therefore, the presence of those is not indicative or predictive of whether or not someone will have bedbugs in his or her apartment.

Again, you might want to do more research before you make such harsh judgments about people and/or situations of which you don't know all the facts. Yes, bedbugs are a nightmare to get rid of. And you have my sympathy there, as someone who went through hell getting rid of them and half of my stuff, since the critters are so tiny and thin that they can get into the tiniest of crevices, and you can't always be sure that they aren't there.

In general, as it's been said above, California is seeing a resurgence with this problem. It isn't the fault of one person or a group of people. You who are so harsh in your judgments and statements may one day find yourself having to deal with the nightmare that bedbugs bring to tenants. And you may find yourself on the receiving end of the same judgmental statements as you've written here. I don't think you'll like receiving or hearing them any more than anyone else would.

Thanks! I love your comment.

heh in Pasadena, California said: Bedbugs are not just a nuisance, but also a health risk to everyone in the apartment unit and complex. That said, the cost of hiring an exterminator should not fall solely on the landlord. First of all, if the tenant has lived there for a number of months and suddenly has bedbugs, it's safe to assume that the tenant brought the pest with them. (Of course, if they were present in an adjacent unit, but that unit's tenant didn't report it, the pest could have spread.) The tenant should pay at least half of the cost, if not all. Landlords should not bear the cost because they didn't bring the pest, but they might do it if they're being nice or the law says so.

Keep this in mind: If the landlord has to pay and continue to pay for pest control to keep bedbugs and other vermin away, the tenant's rent will go up to recover the cost. One way or another, the landlord will get the money back. So it would be best for the tenant(s) to work something out with the landlord.

I currently have been living in my apartment for over a year bed bug free, then new tenants moved in under me and a few weeks later my children were waking up in the middle of the night with huge bites all over their bodies, at first i thought it was masquitos but i never saw any after a few days of investigating and monitoring i found out it was bed bugs . I was on my way to speak with the manager when i saw the downstairs apartment being fumigated by exterminators so i asked what was going on when one of the kids told me they had bed bugs and that they even had them in their previous apartment!!! I was furious! my landlord sprayed my apartment twice and they just keep getting worse also i had to throw away all my kids stuff and a lot of our furniture and buy covers for my bed that is way to expensive to throw away.. all that and the bed bugs are still here! i try to convince the manager to treat the bugs with heat and offered to pay for it but she refused

Norah, the best you can do NOW is send a certified letter to your manager, telling him of the condition, you are breaking your lease.

Bedbugs cannot be sprayed. To get rid of them, the whole building would have to be tended, treated, or something.

If you move out, you will need to get rid of almost everything.
Do your own research. Once those bedbugs are in a building, they do not leave.

My daughter has applied for an apartment in Astoria, put a deposit down pending approval and found out there is a major problem with bedbugs. Can she get her deposit back.

well I really cant afford to move right now and the manager insits that the pecticide will work but it hasnt, also my husband and i both came down with the flu after the pecticides but my husband got a really bad flu that caused him to have guillain berre syndrom and now he is completely paralyzed and been in the hospital for 2 weeks and has not got better. I don't know where or how to begin this battle i even told the manager and all she said was sorry and reminded me that i am late on the rent even after i told her i wasnt going to pay rent untill this nightmare is over .

Norah, call an attorney. Try to find one that specializes in poisons. I am inclined to think the pesticide caused the sickness. Also, find out what your rights are concerning paying rent under the circumstances.

DO NOT BRING ANYTHING OF CLOTHING INTO THAT APARTMENT.
Bring in food - nothing more.
Take what you are not wearing, take them outside to shake them, and put them in vacuum-sealed storage bags.

Someone I know had bedbugs; tenant brought them in, he had a heating system brought in up to 165 degrees, and this heat kills all the bedbugs; it cost $1,500. though.

Good Luck

Heat is the best; it will definately kill them!

I don't agree with tenants bearing the costs in all cases...I recently moved into an apartment and apparently my neighbor had an infestation...well...the pest company the landlord used...didn't find "live" bugs (geniuses) so they didn't treat the apartment. So the little goobers came to my apartment and now in addition to my 14 hour work days...I get to wash all of my belongings and vacuum every inch of my apartment daily...while they treat the infestation!

I should not have to pay a dime...and in fact I feel I should be compensated as this is a huge inconvenience for me!

I just established residency at a weekly/monthly hotel in san francisco. Since I have moved in my things have been infested with bed bugs, my child and I have been bitten every night and I have put in writing several times my concern, along with pictures of our bites. The management keeps saying the exterminators will be coming soon. I dont think I should have to pay my full $800 rent but I dont wan to be kicked out either we have no were else to go! Please if anyone has any info on the laws behind paying your rent with infestation on bed bugs in SF let me no! Thanks

I just learned that it's totally the landlords responsibility to pay for extermination. You will have to get all your clothing out and put it in a hot car or clothes dryer to kill any that may be hiding in your clothing. And the entire process takes several days when they treat inside your unit, you cant be there.... so I'd at least ask to switch to another room if that's possible, while they treat your current one.

norah in Los Angeles, California said: well I really cant afford to move right now and the manager insits that the pecticide will work but it hasnt, also my husband and i both came down with the flu after the pecticides but my husband got a really bad flu that caused him to have guillain berre syndrom and now he is completely paralyzed and been in the hospital for 2 weeks and has not got better. I don't know where or how to begin this battle i even told the manager and all she said was sorry and reminded me that i am late on the rent even after i told her i wasnt going to pay rent untill this nightmare is over .

Bed bugs are brought in through used furniture, traveler's (people who travel and stay in hotels and motels). The only way to irraticate bed bugs is through heating up the house or apt by professionals and it can be costly. Bed bugs cannot survive in over I believe 150 degrees F. Pesticides will not work. Your landlord should do some research about it, but note that you may have brought them in and not even known it; therefore, you may have to share the cost if not all of it.

just established residency at a weekly/monthly hotel in san francisco.

This comment says it all.

We moved into an apartment in Texas and we have lived here since May 2010. (it is now September 2011). The downstairs tenants moved out about a month after we moved in. Then there were tenants there for about 10 months. We just got new tenants and now my son's room has bed bugs. We re-signed our lease in January 2011 to re-new in March. In our first lease, there was no bed bug addendum. In our new lease, there is. I didn't think much about it until I found bed bugs in my son's room. He has a new bed and so do my husband and I. There are no bed bugs on our furniture. They are all over the corners of the walls and ceilings. Very hard to see. I am about to call the apartment office as we just discovered them at about midnight last night. I want to know what my rights and responsibilities are.In the addendum we signed, it states our responsibilities but not our rights. What are my rights? We did not bring in these bed bugs. We haven't travelled in over a year. When my boys go back and forth to their dad's, they rarely take clothing or anything.

I really just need to know what my RIGHTS are as an apartment tenant in Texas.

cynamac in Carrollton, Texas said: We moved into an apartment in Texas and we have lived here since May 2010. (it is now September 2011). The downstairs tenants moved out about a month after we moved in. Then there were tenants there for about 10 months. We just got new tenants and now my son's room has bed bugs. We re-signed our lease in January 2011 to re-new in March. In our first lease, there was no bed bug addendum. In our new lease, there is. I didn't think much about it until I found bed bugs in my son's room. He has a new bed and so do my husband and I. There are no bed bugs on our furniture. They are all over the corners of the walls and ceilings. Very hard to see. I am about to call the apartment office as we just discovered them at about midnight last night. I want to know what my rights and responsibilities are.In the addendum we signed, it states our responsibilities but not our rights. What are my rights? We did not bring in these bed bugs. We haven't travelled in over a year. When my boys go back and forth to their dad's, they rarely take clothing or anything.

I really just need to know what my RIGHTS are as an apartment tenant in Texas.

Bedbugs travel in moving trucks, that is another huge dilemma. No one can pin point the source of origin in most cases. Everyone wants to play the blame game because no one wants to pay for the high cost of extermination.

My brother did pest control for over 10 years. I just got off the phone with him and he says he's seen tons of infestations of bed bugs. When I told him where they were in my apartment, he told me to have them inspect the other units also. When I called the apartment office, the manager told me that I would have to pay for pest control treatment of the entire building (16 units). When I told her that I would not bear the responsibility alone, she told me that my unit was the only unit that could be infested because I'm the only one that has complained. I told her that it is unlikely that my unit is the only unit with bed bugs and she told me that "Bed bugs can't travel between units. They only stay within the unit that they start in." WRONG. I have done my homework and they CAN travel from unit to unit. I also asked her why I would have to pay for the entire building to be treated if my apartment is the only one that could be infested because they don't travel from unit to unit. She then stated that they can indeed go from unit to unit. Back to square one. I want all units inspected. I am about to contact the county health department and see what my rights are from there.

Jamie in Chatsworth, California said: It is the landlords responsibility to pay for an infestation of bed bugs.
There is an infestation of bed bugs in CALIFORNIA. Do the research.
Maybe the tenant before didn't have any because the uprise of bed bugs hadn't happened yet.
If the city Inspector comes, the landlord will be charged. End of story. They will take pictures, inspect and sue.
Bed bugs will spread, infest your whole apt building, then you will have to pay for everyones expenses.

Most states are enacting new laws that protect the landlord's rights. If a tenant continually becomes infested with bed bugs after being heat treated 4 or 5 times within 2 years at the cost of $1500 per treatment at the landlord's expense, whose responsibility is it? No surrounding units are infested. Out of 45 units, 1 is infected. Is it the lifestyle choice of the tenant? Where is the tenant hanging out? Who does the tenant have for guests? An egg can be brought into a unit on the clothing of a guest who has frequented a place where bed bugs are prevalent...perhaps a city bus?

cynamac in Carrollton, Texas said: My brother did pest control for over 10 years. I just got off the phone with him and he says he's seen tons of infestations of bed bugs. When I told him where they were in my apartment, he told me to have them inspect the other units also. When I called the apartment office, the manager told me that I would have to pay for pest control treatment of the entire building (16 units). When I told her that I would not bear the responsibility alone, she told me that my unit was the only unit that could be infested because I'm the only one that has complained. I told her that it is unlikely that my unit is the only unit with bed bugs and she told me that "Bed bugs can't travel between units. They only stay within the unit that they start in." WRONG. I have done my homework and they CAN travel from unit to unit. I also asked her why I would have to pay for the entire building to be treated if my apartment is the only one that could be infested because they don't travel from unit to unit. She then stated that they can indeed go from unit to unit. Back to square one. I want all units inspected. I am about to contact the county health department and see what my rights are from there.

You should contact a lawyer. I am not sure what the protocol in Texas is, however, it is customary for a responsible landlord to inspect all adjacent units to the unit that is infested...at the cost of the landlord. It is pricey...but landlords do need to protect the property.

Charlie Wade in Bay Area, California said: Did you know that almost 63% of all statistics are made up on the spot?

yea, but only 73% of us will believe that.. Damn, I did it again! haha

muhlenberg residents/workers in Brooklyn, New York said: there is a building in brooklyn new york i believe may be fully infested with bed bugs and scabbies. though the buildings management is aware of the situation, they have refused to remedy the situation. the building is a S.R.O.- single room occupancy. in addition to the tenants the staff has also been exposed. what laws are there to protect all the people in the building. how can the situation be exposed properly and permanently.

Thank Goodness that I have never had this problem. However, you must contact an extermination company to have any and all pest problems resolved.