Question by Anthony S:
Is it the landlords responsibility to take care of bed bugs?
Is it the landlords responsibility to take care of bed bugs when it is the tenants who have brought them into an apartment. This is in Medford Massachusetts. Most likely brought into the apartment by people who might have been living there without actually being part of the lease.
Best answer:
Answer by kate
Bed bugs , unlike cockroaches are a traveler issue .
Often , people go on vacation and bring them home because even the expensive hotels are having bed bug issues .
Personally , I think an ozone generator might kill them as well as other bugs and mold .
I’m thinking of starting a business that does that service .
If you are a landlord , the generators are only about $ 1500 for the commercial size and I hear they also kill smoke odors .
You could use it after a tenant moves out and maybe get rid of lots of issues !
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to my knowledge it would be the tenants responsibility to take Care of the bed bugs. i never heard of a landlord needing to take care of it.
Bedbugs literally live in beds, and unless you are renting out a furnished apartment they are not the landlords bugs. They are there because of the renters personal sanitation practices, something the landlord can not control.
Bedbugs are no more the fault of the landlord then body lice.
that is so friggin gross bed bugs give me the creeps! It could go either way I mean to be honest i would think it would be the LL job like other bugs would be
The landlord will be responsible for spraying for pests. He or she is not responsible for replacing your bed or removing the bugs from your bed. Bed bugs eat dried flaked off skin. They will, when there are enough, climb on top of you at night and start eating, just like mesquito’s do.
The best way to get rid of them is to remove your matress and discard (not at your apartment dump–then clean your car with shampoo and pest spray. Have the apartment sprayed before buying a new mattress. Bed bugs can travel, so other beds are probably infected, and you will have to make a call as to whether to replace all matresses or just one. You probably don’t have to wash closet clothes–but I’m sure you will. You definetly need to wash sheets and shampoo carpet before new beds. Even if you land lord won’t shampoo the carpet, they can probably arrange for an agency for about 40-60 dollars to do it for you (don’t bother renting as it’s about the same price and better results).
Bed bugs lay eggs so there some effort to all of this. Also eggs take 10 days to hatch, so you’ll have to decide how badly you want them gone, but if you are willing to sleep on the floor and simply do a few shampooings you’ll be ok as well.
Finally, I would recommend paying for a professional to help get rid of bed bugs. Your landlord is responsible for pest infestations, so then can assist with a number of issues. As for the bed–and laundry work, and shampoos, you’re on your own.
The specific laws on the seriousness depends on the location. In NYC, there is a special unit in the health deparment that handles bed bug complaints in apartments. This is a tough law, with tougher enforcement, and steep fines, including the ability of the state to shut down the apartment complex.