Bedbugs in a duplex - should LL pay for new mattresses?

[David Quinn]

Hi, I have a duplex in Boston.  In both units I do the “rent by the room” model.  Last night one of the tenants in the 2nd floor told me he had bedbugs and got rid of his box spring and mattress.  I went by today and one of his roommates, whose room is just across the hall, also has bedbugs - a much worse case.  I carried out his mattress and then sprayed the heck out of his box spring and around the room (and apartment) with my own pesticide. I also hired a professional whose coming in a couple days.  Fortunately, both the guys are already out of town for a few days anyway.  I’m paying for the treatment - no problem there.  The first one recently asked if I’d pay to replace his mattress.  After some thought, I agreed to pay for it as well as his roommate’s.  My reasoning was to keep the peace and hopefully keep them into a new lease (both good tenants).  Obviously one of them brought the bugs in - this is the first case in the 15 years I’ve owned the house.  Of course there is no way to prove that.

I’m curious what others might do in this situation - should the landlord pay for new beds?  Sheets and blankets?  The tenant’s arguments would of course be they have no idea where the bugs came from and they’d be right.  Thoughts?

Thanks for any input!