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

Question

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!

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!

Nathan Gesner · Answer

That's the great thing about America: you do it your way, I'll do it mine. :)

Nathan Gesner · Answer

The bugs were brought in by one of the renters, therefore the renter are responsible for remediation. Throwing a mattress away does nothing to solve the problem. The bugs are still present and will climb on the new mattress. Instead, you need the entire place professionally treated.

It sounds like both your renters travel for work, which explains how they got the bed bugs. I would find some literature to share with them on how to prevent this in the future and then put them on notice that the next problem is theirs to pay for.

John Underwood · Answer

Did you take bed bugs over and release them? If not then how is it your fault?

My lease states landlord is not responsible for their personal property.

Maybe this is just the cost of doing business when you rent out rooms?

David Quinn · Answer

Thanks for the advice folks. As an update, after I sprayed a professional came a couple of days later and treated the entire apartment; they are coming back tomorrow morning for the second treatment. They will then come back a month later to see if there has been any more activity. Regarding the mattresses: I ended up just kicking in 200 bucks toward a new one rather than the entire cost. If it happens again I probably won’t cover the cost of anyone’s bed, but with the rent by the room model it’s tough not to pay for the treatment itself.

Joe Scaparra · Answer

@Nathan G.,  I don't mean to be a pain in the ass, but your logic makes no sense.  Your assumption one of the renters brought in the bed bugs.  Ok, I can go with that as we can most likely eliminate the Landlord did not bring them in.  Check!   Ok, BUT which renter brought them in.  Hey by your logic both did because they travel for work.  OH REALLY!  So all tenants who travel for work have bed bugs?  Now even if one of the tenants KNOWS he/she brought them in, unless they confess, where are you going to place the liability.  THE LANDLORD.  The landlord placed the tenant in the room.  If it was just a one room dwelling then YES I am with you the tenant is responsible.  BUT until you can ACCURATELY place blame on which tenant: the LANDLORD is responsible.  I will take this one step further.  Say only one tenant traveled for work.  OH, by your logic YOU got your man, its the one who travels for work.  Hey anyone out there have tenants who got bed bugs but don't travel for work............how does that happen?   You can get bed bugs from an overnight stay at someones house, hotel, or sitting on someones couch.  Again, I can probably buy that one of the tenants most likely brought them in but short of hard evidence of which tenant; the LANDLORD is responsible.  Cheers.

Aaron F. · Answer

Bad advice here. Knee jerk reaction is to throw away furniture. Never throw away furniture, mattresses, clothes, etc. just adds to the cost and does nothing to solve the problem. My tenants are told to call me before doing anything if they see the bugs.

I would buy bedbug mattress covers for everyone in the building and handle the chemical treatment or heat treatment costs since it’s a multi. There’s no way to put it on a tenant unless they claim responsibility.

Russell Brazil · Answer

Rent by the room situation, yes you should absolutely pay for new mattresses.

Joe Scaparra · Answer

@David Quinn, good luck with this one.  It is obvious by your post that you don't have much experience with bedbugs.  This one should scare the hell out of you, as bedbugs are very difficult to get rid of.  You just can't treat the individual rooms but the entire home to be effective.

Your situation is complicated because you rent out by the room.  You are liable to the others tenants for each renter you place in the unit. As you alluded to it is impossible to determine fault so therefore you assume the liability.  I don't rent by the room so it is easy for me.  If they didn't have bedbugs when they move in they own the infestation.  They also pay to get rid of them too.  Like you said the unit is going to get treated when they are gone, but bedbugs are into everything including their belongs that they may take with them.  Even if you get them out of the unit they may bring them right back with their suitcase/clothes when they come back.  Since they are in both bedroom, they probably are in the couch and even in appliances in the house.  Generally you treat the unit with high heat to kill them all and it is not cheap to get the correct treatment.

Karl B. · Answer

Bed bugs are a cruddy situation. Renter's insurance doesn't even cover pest control or damage (mattresses/bedding/couches/etc.) when there are bed bugs.

Me personally, if this happened to me I wouldn't buy them new mattresses as I wasn't the one who brought the bed bugs in and I'm going to assume the bed bugs didn't start biting the night either of these guys moved in.

This is similar to any other sort of bug infestation. Let's say you rent to someone and the day they move in they call and complain about ants. Yes - in that case it's safe to say the ants were there and need to be wiped out because the tenant didn't attract them.

But if it's two months into a lease and a tenant begins complaining about ants it's likely they're being sloppy/aren't storing their food properly and their messy way of living has brought (and kept) the ants inside the property.

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

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