Landlord responsibility for bedbug infestation?

We own a two family home, live in one unit and have tenants in the other. Our tenants discovered they have bedbugs. The exterminator came over today and said the infestation has been going on for months, and it is going to cost us twice as much to treat the apartment as it would have if they’d reported it earlier. Do we have any recourse in possibly sharing the expense with the tenants? The treatment is going to run in the thousands as it’s a large unit.

Guest User | 7 years and 10 months ago

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Guest User | 7 years and 9 months ago

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I think the responsible party varies based on your rental agreement or whatever plan you have worked out with your property manager. Just looking at the responses, you can tell that everyones answer differs. However, I have had this experience before and in my case the landlord was the responsible party because they were in charge of this kind of maintenance and upkeep. I think this situation will likely fall on your landlord because it seems like they had prior knowledge of this infestation.

Guest User | 7 years and 9 months ago

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Did your tenants know and just not tell you? We got them a few years back as tenants, and we had them for weeks, maybe even months before realizing it, as the signs are not so obvious unless you know what you’re looking for. Our landlord paid for the basic extermination, but the cost to us in hours of laundry alone was enormous. We also paid on our own to upgrade to better exterminating to insure they wouldn’t come back or spread to our neighbors – including the bedbug sniffing dog (strange, but true) and killing them with steam instead of pesticides that seem to not work as well and require numerous applications.

AndrewPorter | 7 years and 9 months ago

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I had them in my apartment, as did a bunch of the apartments in the building; e all got them from an apartment which had them for several months, told no one and allowed them to spread through the building. The treatment was paid for by the building, but the preparation cost me thousands, which I discovered my apartment insurance did not cover, sigh…

edwardphuz | 7 years and 9 months ago

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You’re supposed to call a exterminator and you’re responsible sadly. If DIY The chemicals usually are Temprid SC or Transport Mirkon . For dusting a lot use Cimexa Dust. Spray every 2 weeks and keep an eye out.

Guest User | 7 years and 9 months ago

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Thank you, all. I think it’s more expensive as a result of them waiting because the infestation spread to two floors and an outbuilding. If they’d reported it sooner it could have been contained to just one floor (or even just the master bedroom). We did get the exterminator into our unit and so far we’re in the clear, so keeping my fingers crossed.

cate | 7 years and 9 months ago

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Yes, the landlord is responsible no matter what. (I’m a landlord too and we had them.) The service we used would have treated the same and charged the same regardless of how long the infestation had been around — the only factor for the service we used would be the size of the unit/number of units — not the length or degree of infestation within one unit. But for the sufferers, it’s wise not to change where they sleep so the infestation can be contained and thus perhaps reduce the amount of stuff they have to treat. But sounds like maybe it’s too late for that. Whatever you do, be sure to use a firm that specializes in bed bugs and has a smart approach and a good reputation. Good luck.

Arkady | 7 years and 9 months ago

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moze is right. Happily, it was a false alarm for me but tenants thought they had had them for a few weeks before reporting it – why on earth would they wait??? I wonder if it would be legit to put a rider on the lease saying tenant is responsible for reporting in a timely fashion or otherwise must at least share the costs.

mozeeatupu | 7 years and 10 months ago

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A landlord is legally required to get rid of bed bugs in an apartment within 30 days. The landlord must cover the cost of extermination.
Don’t be surprised if they try to make you pay for treatment of their belongings, etc.

Guest User | 7 years and 10 months ago

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I’m not an expert but as a former bedbug sufferer (as a tenant) I think you’re on the hook for the treatment. Keep in mind though that your tenants will also have to bear significant costs in order to eradicate the beasties from their belongings (copious amounts of laundry, dry cleaning, heat treatment, buying new stuff, etc.). Make sure that in addition to treating the affected unit the exterminator assess and possibly treats your unit as well!!!!! The very last thing you want is for the beasties to move their nasty carapaces into your unit and start over again…. ugh…

Guest User | 7 years and 10 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "195579"

I’m not an expert but as a former bedbug sufferer (as a tenant) I think you’re on the hook for the treatment. Keep in mind though that your tenants will also have to bear significant costs in order to eradicate the beasties from their belongings (copious amounts of laundry, dry cleaning, heat treatment, buying new stuff, etc.). Make sure that in addition to treating the affected unit the exterminator assess and possibly treats your unit as well!!!!! The very last thing you want is for the beasties to move their nasty carapaces into your unit and start over again…. ugh…

Guest User | 7 years and 10 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "195579"

I’m not an expert but as a former bedbug sufferer (as a tenant) I think you’re on the hook for the treatment. Keep in mind though that your tenants will also have to bear significant costs in order to eradicate the beasties from their belongings (copious amounts of laundry, dry cleaning, heat treatment, buying new stuff, etc.). Make sure that in addition to treating the affected unit the exterminator assess and possibly treats your unit as well!!!!! The very last thing you want is for the beasties to move their nasty carapaces into your unit and start over again…. ugh…