Bed Bugs and Eviction help?

[Mark Green]

Hello!

I own a 4 unit building in Pawtucket Rhode Island, and I HAVE BEDBUGS! Well, not me personally, but they are in every unit. I understand bed bugs are pesky to get rid of and expensive. 3 of my tenants are clean, and keep to themselves. One family though are called "the smelly people" by neighbors and former owner. They are nice, but very dirty. I can not prove that they brought the bed bugs in, but there is no way they will have their house in order for the extermination team to properly clean. 

I fear this leads me to (at least) beginning the eviction process. I have called all numbers associated with the unit, to no avail. The other tenants want action, so I will pay a local company $450 to come in and spray, but it really wont do anything with that unit is utter distress. All units are month to month, with one on Pawtucket Housing. I live an hour north in Boston. 

Does anyone have any advice, tips, or tricks to get out of this slippery mess!

Cheers!

Mark 

[Jill F.]

The bed bugs have been there for a while if they are in all four units. Usually we catch them by the time they are in the second unit. There is really no telling who brought them in since it could have just been bad luck by someone on a  business trip. Pest control can sometimes tell where they started based on the level of infestation. $450 for a 4 unit is a screaming good deal for bed bugs. Go a day ahead of the exterminator with a giant box of thick 50 gallon contractor trash bags and make sure the tenants but everything in plastic boxes or double tied up trash bags (be careful when you get back home). Give them bags and tell them you'll be back in a couple hours to check. If they fail to cooperate, give them another chance and tell them they are going to have to pay for the treatments if they don't cooperate because you won't get a warranty.