Bed bugs in multiunit

[Matt Harris]

hi have an issue that maybe another landlord has some experience with. I have a 4 unit I owned for over two years with no bed bug issues now I had a resident complain of them I inspected and found it to be true so I immediately called an exterminator but for just two units they want 1500$ and that's for only 3 treatments and I don't want them to move into the other two units. So I bought bed bug sheets and spray and I did it myself and told my resident where it came from was they were bringing used things mattress couch from the trash and such which brought them in since I never had any issues previously. Well being a small time landlord I can't afford that big bill because I would have to do all 4 units to be safe so that's 3000$ that isn't caused by me and never had any bug issues previously. I also can't charge the tenant that started the problem because their on welfare with no money and I have depleted her security deposit of 750$ from other damages. But now I have another resident saying their getting bite and say they saw bed bugs in their apartment. Any suggestions. I told all residents to bag and clean their units but this issue is caused by them bringing them into the building. Thanks

[Mike B.]

This is a common problem in a growing number of cities.  Unfortunately for you this is probably going to be an expensive lesson.  You need to have these things professionally taken care of (but don't just hire any exterminator and blindly let them do it).  Educate yourself on the treatment protocols like spraying or heat boxing and discuss with whomever you hire how they will do this.  I can tell you if they are not removing all of your outlet and switch covers when they spray, they are probably not doing it right.  The tenant also plays a huge role in this, because if they do not comply with treatment protocols on their belongings, then you will have the problem flare up again within 30 days of completing your treatments.  You have to manage these tenants and make sure they are complying.

You can protect yourself by adding a pest clause/addendum in your lease. Make sure you have it checked by your attorney so it meets your state's requirements.  But essentially, your lease should state you are renting the lessee an apartment that is free of infestation and that any future infestation is the fault of the tenant.  It should reflect damages they can be charged so you can correct the problem (hiring the exterminator) and consequences of not following treatment protocols.  The last thing you want is a tenant that won't comply and you have no recourse to evict and get rid of them so you can properly fix the problem. Also, providing new tenants mattress sleeves at move in is an extra expense, but can be well worth their cost when  problems arise.

You mentioned that this was a low (or no) income resident and they had depleted their security deposit for other damages already.  I really hope you are not allowing a tenant to use the deposit as a credit account while they are still living there.  That deposit should be for unpaid rents and damages if they skip out or move and leave a mess.  If they damage the property while still living there, they should have the charges added to their next months rent bill.  And if they don't pay in full, they should be evicted.  If you do not train these residents this way, they are training you. And what you are left with is a broke tenant who infests your complex and once you finally get rid of them, you are left holding the bag of damages, lost rents, longer vacancy while cleaning the mess, and no deposit to help cover this problem.  Hopefully you can find lots of advice on BP to assist with these issues.  If you are going to be a landlord, you should also continually educate yourself.  Here are some resources beyond BP:

www.IREM.org

www.NAAHQ.org

http://www.amazon.com/Landlording-Handymanual-Scru...