Due to my bed bug problems. It has been an utterly miserable weekend and I'm hoping I have a handle on them now, but from what I've read it's going to be a long fight.
Basically, I'm asking him to send pest control out. I want to use this letter as a jumping off point for breaking my lease if the problem doesn't get resolved. I can't live like this, it's been two weeks and my already sparse sanity is slipping away.
What I have so far:
I'm contacting you because I wanted you to know that the unit has a massive bed bug infestation. It's taken me a few weeks to narrow down what is was, but at this point I have literally over 200 bites on me and have spent hundreds of dollars on various treatments and medical bills. I spent the entire weekend combating them, but I don't know if it's been effective or not. If it hasn't, can you please send out a pest control company?
Based on everything I've read, I'm guessing they came from another unit. Are you aware if there are any bed bug problems that have been reported elsewhere in the complex?
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How much more through should I get?
UPDATE - Ok, land lord just came by (I happened to be working from home today).
He's definitely willing to help, thank goodness. I think that he thinks that I possibly brought it with me, but I've squashed that. He's going to get someone in for an inspection this week. I'm most concerned that it's spread to my boys' room, thus far it doesn't seem like it, thankfully.
The only ones I've found (alive) for the past two days have been very small, hopefully I'm breaking their life cycle.
OH, and the biggest bit of info (to me at least) is that he admitted that "a few years ago" there was known bedbugs here, however he thought the problem was taken care of.
Have you looked up if there are any state laws regarding pest infestations and landlord/tenant law that apply to you? If you are protected by tenant rights, it might be as simple as "We have bed bugs, please call an extermination company by Friday or I'll arrange it on your behalf and send you the bill"
Don't be nice. The place has BEDBUGS. That's not okay and you shouldn't have to live with them. They need pest control out stat for all units, and ongoing checks/treatment.
We have been experiencing a very unpleasant bug infestation for the past several weeks, we were finally able to narrow it down to bed bugs and receive proper medical treatment for the few hundred bites that we have. After some research it appears that all connecting units and the infected unit must be treated by a professional to ensure that the bed bugs are eradicated. Please schedule an exterminator to come out and treat for bed bugs immediately. If I do not hear back from you by Thursday, 6pm I will find and schedule one myself and the cost of such will be deducted from future rent payments.
We have been experiencing a very unpleasant bug infestation for the past several weeks, we were finally able to narrow it down to bed bugs and receive proper medical treatment for the few hundred bites that we have. After some research it appears that all connecting units and the infected unit must be treated by a professional to ensure that the bed bugs are eradicated. Please schedule an exterminator to come out and treat for bed bugs immediately. If I do not hear back from you by Thursday, 6pm I will find and schedule one myself and the cost of such will be deducted from future rent payments.
Thanks, Me.
I can't do this though. From what I've gleaned from renters laws, the landlord has 30 days from the time you contact them to do anything.
So my landlord is one of many owners, it isn't is a general management company that I contact. There is an HOA, but I don't know how much my landlord contacts them so I legitemately don't know if he is aware of any issues.
We have been experiencing a very unpleasant bug infestation for the past several weeks, we were finally able to narrow it down to bed bugs and receive proper medical treatment for the few hundred bites that we have. After some research it appears that all connecting units and the infected unit must be treated by a professional to ensure that the bed bugs are eradicated. Please schedule an exterminator to come out and treat for bed bugs immediately. If I do not hear back from you by Thursday, 6pm I will find and schedule one myself and the cost of such will be deducted from future rent payments.
Thanks, Me.
I can't do this though. From what I've gleaned from renters laws, the landlord has 30 days from the time you contact them to do anything.
You mean they can make you live with it during that time frame?
That seems so unfair.
If it keeps happening, I wonder if there is any way to make them reimburse you for the co-pays/meds?
Post by sofamonkey on Sept 2, 2014 12:47:10 GMT -5
I would leave out the part with your ambivalence about him providing a professional to treat them. This needs to be professionally addressed. And I would STRONGLY suggest that he talk to his neighbors & treat the entire place.
Read up on what college dorms have to deal with when they get an infestation. It is probably the most similar example of how this should be treated/dealt with.
Really & truly I am SO SO SO sorry. What a nightmare.
I can't do this though. From what I've gleaned from renters laws, the landlord has 30 days from the time you contact them to do anything.
You mean they can make you live with it during that time frame?
That seems so unfair.
If it keeps happening, I wonder if there is any way to make them reimburse you for the co-pays/meds?
I know it's ridiculous. :/ CA tenant rights are actually pretty pro-renter, but this one seems so odd to me.
I have been keeping track of how much I've spend (meds, co-pays, treatments).
My LL seems to be a pretty nice guy, I'm hoping he's going to be cool about this. But I'm also really scared b/c I seriously can't live like this for much longer.
Post by orangeblossom on Sept 2, 2014 12:49:35 GMT -5
I would let the HOA Board know that there is a problem. If you're concerned with them saying it's your unit, I would do it anonymously.
I wouldn't want to get your unit treated, only for them to comr back again, when the other units aren't treated.
Others have given good advice. I agree, don't be overly nice, and stick to the facts. We have bed bugs, what are the next steps to remediate the problem
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Good luck getting this resolved.
Let this letter serve as notice that I am reporting a bed bug infestation in my unit. I have made all reasonable attempts to remove them including cleaning, washing, vacuuming and XYZ. This infestation has not been remediate and now requires professional intervention. I am also reporting severe medical complications as a direct result of the infestation including over 200 bites resulting in swelling, itching, and costly medical treatments.
If you cannot remediate the infestation to return the unit to habital living conditions, I will not be able to continue my lease agreement.
Please contact me with next step to solve this issue in a timely manner. I understand that another unit may be the cause of the problem and will need to be involved in the solution. I look forward to your response and leadership moving forward.
Post by shopgirl07 on Sept 2, 2014 12:50:41 GMT -5
This is kind of an emergency situation so I'd give him a call and let him know what's going on. Is there any reason to think he wouldn't want to resolve this? Of course you should also follow-up with email to keep a paper trail.
We have been experiencing a very unpleasant bug infestation for the past several weeks, we were finally able to narrow it down to bed bugs and receive proper medical treatment for the few hundred bites that we have. After some research it appears that all connecting units and the infected unit must be treated by a professional to ensure that the bed bugs are eradicated. Please schedule an exterminator to come out and treat for bed bugs immediately. If I do not hear back from you by Thursday, 6pm I will find and schedule one myself and the cost of such will be deducted from future rent payments.
Thanks, Me.
I can't do this though. From what I've gleaned from renters laws, the landlord has 30 days from the time you contact them to do anything.
If this is truly the case, and I would double check, keep everything and change the last sentence to, "if I have not heard from you by xx date, I will follow up again via email. I would also consider adding something in there regarding this being a health issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
In Colorado, the law heavily favors the tenant. There is a clause in our laws that states a property must be in inhabitable condition, meaning the property is safe, has running water, functioning toilets, working smoke and co2 detectors, etc. basically, anything that makes the home "uninhabitable" is grounds for termination of the lease agreement. We gave our landlord notice of the issue. She had up to a week, I believe, to address the issue, which she did not. We moved out and were awarded damages when she didn't return our security deposit.
In any case, I would be surprised if the landlord has a full 30 days to address an Inhabitability issue. Leaky faucet, low water pressure, things like that? Sure. But this is comparable to a toilet that won't flush, a missing smoke alarm, or any other issue that would make the home a safety hazard.
Also, keep all communication in writing if possible. You want to have proof of communication if things go sour.
We have been experiencing a very unpleasant bug infestation for the past several weeks, we were finally able to narrow it down to bed bugs and receive proper medical treatment for the few hundred bites that we have. After some research it appears that all connecting units and the infected unit must be treated by a professional to ensure that the bed bugs are eradicated. Please schedule an exterminator to come out and treat for bed bugs immediately. If I do not hear back from you by Thursday, 6pm I will find and schedule one myself and the cost of such will be deducted from future rent payments.
Thanks, Me.
I can't do this though. From what I've gleaned from renters laws, the landlord has 30 days from the time you contact them to do anything.
Ok so change "Thursday" to "October 2nd". I didn't assume you would copy and paste it in it's entirety. I didn't know where you lived when I typed it and I'm also not a lawyer that is well versed in renters rights / law.
I would not ask for pest control IF the problem has not been resolved; I would demand he send pest control ASAP to confirm it has been taken care of, and remediate the problem if it has not.
Holy shit. I would be in a hotel after burning all my shit.
Post by miniroller on Sept 2, 2014 13:04:05 GMT -5
Oh Ali I just wanted to give you (non-infested air) hugs!! Sorry that I don't have advice, but you definitely have my sympathies. I hope this gets resolved ASAP!
Post by MixedBerryJam on Sept 2, 2014 13:08:34 GMT -5
I would CALL landlord and talk to him on the phone to inform him you have bedbugs and that you'll be contacting the HOA. . And you'll cc him on the letter. I frankly wouldnt ask him to take any action (other than contacting the HOA if he wants to be the person to do that) since you really cant, and shouldnt, treat just your unit. Good luck, OP. I hope its resolved quickly.
Post by EmilieMadison on Sept 2, 2014 14:37:46 GMT -5
How long have you lived in this condo? If you just moved in recently, then this is probably a landlord responsibility. But if you've been there for a while, this is probably on you.
You should absolutely contact your LL and the HOA because not only should you find out who's responsibility it is, but they should notify everyone that bedbugs are in the building and could be spreading.
Get someone out to bomb your condo ASAP, figure out who will pay for it later. Getting rid of them needs to be priority number one.
This isn't my specialty, but if there's a pest infestation I think you can move out and bill the landlord for the hotel room until the infestation is fixed. The right to withhold rent after a month related to, like a leaky faucet. Not a pest infestation. You may not be able to withhold rent, but I am pretty sure you can move out and get compensated.
The risk is the landlord will say you caused it, so I would start polling the neighbors. How long have you lived there?
Finally, check Nolo for real info about your rights, and I also would reccomend calling Legal Aid. But mostly, I would be in a hotel. With sheets you bought,and after cleaning yourself and your stuff so you don't spread it.
Post by vanillacourage on Sept 2, 2014 15:02:39 GMT -5
I apologize if I missed this, but if you haven't even told your LL about the problem yet, you're coming on way too strong. Telling them that you'll arrange pest treatment and bill them for it, threatening to break your lease - these are things you do when your LL is blowing you off. Don't make it adversarial if you don't know it needs to be.
CALL your LL today and tell them it's bedbugs. Ask if they'll be able to arrange pest treatment in the next couple days. Go from there.
I apologize if I missed this, but if you haven't even told your LL about the problem yet, you're coming on way too strong. Telling them that you'll arrange pest treatment and bill them for it, threatening to break your lease - these are things you do when your LL is blowing you off. Don't make it adversarial if you don't know it needs to be.
CALL your LL today and tell them it's bedbugs. Ask if they'll be able to arrange pest treatment in the next couple days. Go from there.
I agree you need to call the LL first. If they are even remotely reasonable people, they will be as horrified as you are and call an exterminator.