Does the landlord have to remove bedbugs?

in Bedbug Questions



Question by Mike M:
Does the landlord have to remove bedbugs?

My girlfriend and I recently moved into an apartment which we have the strong inclination is infested with bedbugs. We enherited the apartment in messy condition and now after tireless cleaning we wake up in the morning covered in bug bites. The apartment is in Boston and we never actually see any bugs. Is this the landlord’s responsibility to take care of? I know with something like bedbugs it is hard to prove just who is responsible, since it could be argued that we brought them in. The lease says nothing about pest control and we never signed a condition statement upon moving in. Please let me know if further information is required, the subject is very…very new to me.

Best answer:

Answer by Mark C
It would be impossible to determine who brought them in the unit. They hitch-hike from the best hotel rooms into clothing etc.

You can ask, but they are a pain to get rid of, look up on line the signs.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bedbugs/

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Trouble March 26, 2011 at 6:10 am

There is a ton of info regarding bedbugs in Boston & MA in general.

The responsibility to exterminate is the landlords. MA has tenants covered in this area.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/ISD/housing/pdfs/StudentFlyer.pdf

http://www.cityofboston.gov/isd/housing/bb.asp

http://www.cityofboston.gov/isd/housing/pdfs/bedbugflyer.pdf

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Ed Atun March 26, 2011 at 7:05 am

The law is not clear on this point. In most cases, the landlord is not responsible for crickets or cockroaches or termites unless that is in the lease. Or the Health Department declares that the building is unhealthy. Bedbugs are scary to everyone. Judges might be much tougher on bedbugs than any other bugs. You need to find evidence of the bugs. If you turn on the light at 3-4 am , that is when the bugs come out to feed. You also search for the “carcasses” behind paintings and desks..

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