Reporting Bug Infestations?
Does anyone know where to report bug infestations (not bedbugs) so that people can see them before opting to rent an apartment? My husband and I after another nightmare dealing with an apartment are now moving because our apartment is infested with huge American Cockroaches. We were not alerted by the broker OR the landlord…
Does anyone know where to report bug infestations (not bedbugs) so that people can see them before opting to rent an apartment? My husband and I after another nightmare dealing with an apartment are now moving because our apartment is infested with huge American Cockroaches. We were not alerted by the broker OR the landlord before we moved in and don’t think that this will happen for whoever moves in here next. I would love to at least try to warn people. Does anyone know of a place where we can do this?
Whippleworld, I am totally sympathetic. In my early days in NYC I rented a basement apartment in Astoria and discovered it was a waterbug haven. As I learned from others, basement apartments often are. Mine was right over a sewer grate. Even though that was covered up, they still got in (maybe from there, maybe through other cracks–they don’t need much of an opening). Hell yeah I moved out of that place (with the landlord’s permission–she was happy to get someone else in there for more rent).
Even living on the fifth floor of a large apartment building, I still occasionally get them. But that’s like a couple a year, not a couple a week! I do not blame you for getting out, and if I were looking for an apartment, I would want to know if it had any kind of heavy bug infestation. It is often not something the tenant has much control over. Ours come up from the basement of the building and it’s impossible to seal every little crack. I am just lucky that the building super hates them as much as I do and does everything he can to battle them.
@smeyer418 – American Cockroaches and German cockroaches are different. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cockroach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cockroach
American Cockroaches (aka water bugs) thrive off of moisture and decaying matter. German roaches typically go after your food in your kitchen
@modsquad and pattunia – If the problem weren’t completely out of hand and if the landlord was doing an adequate job of handling the situation we would stay. It’s not easy or cheap to up and move more than once in a year. I like to stay where I am for many years at a time. But, there have been many instances where a huge 2″ long cockroach crawls up my or my husband’s leg while sitting on the couch or at the table and I don’t know about you but I refuse to live like that. We stayed and waited for the landlord to handle the problem for 5 months before we came to this conclusion and finally after monthly exterminator visits the problem persists. That is why the landlord let us out of the lease. He knows that it’s a huge problem. If he was going about trying to really solve this problem I wouldn’t be asking how to report the issue. But nothing besides spraying for them is happening. According to the exterminator he needs to seal up some things and get rid of all of the leaves, decaying matter and water all around the building which would really reduce the number of roaches attracted to this building.
@armchairwarrior – With American cockroaches it’s not a matter of us keeping clean. We are anal about clean and the American Cockroach isn’t interested in our kitchen. We usually see them sprinting across the floor from windows or the doors. Outside our window there is a decaying garden. The final harvest, never harvested by the landlord. The leaves from fall haven’t been tended to and continue to lay in the yard collecting moisture from the rain under them. Then there is a dog as well as some sort of Coy Pond built into the deck out back. (We have no access to the backyard to clean this ourselves.) There is a drain at the front stairs that is clogged and overflows each time it rains. I believe that that and all of the rain has caused this issue. According to the exterminator these things can attract the roaches and aren’t being properly tended to and with the cold weather they are now living in the walls, coming out of the light fixtures and it’s completely out of hand.
I’ve lived in this city for 10 years and I’ve never experienced a pest problem like this. I’m not particularly “squicked” out by a roach or two here and there but when I see 5-10 giant 2″ long roaches gallop across my floor or come home to find a few of them on their backs that I have to clean up I am pretty uncomfortable. I can’t have friends over, I have trouble sleeping at night, it’s too much. I do a huge amount of research before I move into a place because I typically stay where I am for a long while and this is an issue that I believe no landlord just outright tells a potential tenant. “Yea, you have access to the yard and the apartment’s infested with cockroaches.” I wasn’t told and the day my husband and I moved in we noticed the problem. Perhaps they swept up whatever dead ones they saw before they showed us the place I don’t know. I was hoping to warn someone else like me about this issue as it’s something that you can’t really do much about once you move in. I think it’s a pretty basic, neighborly thing to want to do. There are such online resources for bedbugs so if anyone knows of something online where you can perhaps for example enter the date and address and the issue with infestation that would be great. Otherwise 311 it is. Thanks!
the roach problem can be gotten rid of pretty easily. once gotten rid of keep the place very clean :p.
ps you should talk to you landlord before this escalates.
OP, your job is not to warn other peeps, they’re on their own. You must make sure you inspect your next apt thoroughly if you’re so squicked out by roaches that’ll you’ll abandon rather than deal.
I’m kind of amazed at the number of people who up and leave their apartments because of a bug infestation.
It appears the OP has been let out of obligations to the LL without so much as a by-your-leave. Guess they want to show their gratitude by hiding warning signs in the closet.
Isn’t all the American cockroaches German ones anyway?
Its not unusual after an initial painting for the roaches to come out. It doesn’t take that much to get rid of them permanently. there is almost no building in NY that doesn’t have them at some time. Did you notify the landlord and has action been taken to get rid of them? Be careful where you post this as you can be sued. Call 311 and make a complaint. they will send an inspector out. Calling 311 is protected by a limited privilege. If a complaint is issued it will be findable on the web by someone knowledgeable how to search.
If not bed bugs and the infestation is THAT bad why would you need to post anything? If the bugs are there they will remain there and be seen during the day unless they entered the apt on your back or from your bag.
Watch out the LL doesn’t blame the tenant…