Question is about how landlords are getting around double jeopardy regarding pest infestations brought in by tenants (roaches, bedbugs, fleas etc).

We bought a small building with 3 apartments and spent 2 years renovating it from top to bottom, it had not one single bug in it.

Tenants moved in who were slobs, threw discarded food around and never cleaned. Even kept garbage bags in the apartment because they were too lazy to walk to the trash can, we found. Now there's roaches of course, and everyone threatening to bolt, assumedly leaving us with an unrentable roach hole.

We had a good plan. Our leases stated very clearly we will spray, or we can pass around a jug and tenants can spray, and this seemed to work fine for 5 years. The stipulation was this: "If tenants require a private spraying on top of this, they may do so but they must arrange splitting the fee. We encourage all tenants to chip in so there is no finger pointing." followed by "We are adamant that the tenants do this so they have a financial incentive to keep the building pest free."

Sounds reasonable right? And so they all said too, and signed the leases.

Now after years one tenant has suddenly out of nowhere gone ballistic, demanding an exterminator be hired. She was willing to chip in her 1/3.

But the other two tenants, including the one we know brought them in, refuse. They say its not fair how dare you say WE caused the problem.

I know if I bill them, they'll simply say they don't have any money and can't pay it, and that they're moving out (who knows when). Meanwhile the bug ballistic tenant has moved all their furniture into storage, announced they are leaving too, crying (though I've only seen one roach so far, and the third tenant hasn't seen any yet). Then going back and forth texting saying she'll stay but only if there are "guaranteed" professional exterminations, which of course we now have to pay for.

The only option we can think of is raising everyone's rent $20/mo and us simply paying for the exterminations onward yearly.

The double jeopardy is clear enough to anyone who has been a landlord. They bring in the pests, and then your neck is in the noose to get rid of them.

They can even call the city and have you ordered to take care of their mess as a health hazard and you're stuck with all the bills.

Just wondering how other people are approaching this.

I give new tenants 72 hours to find pests. After that it is on them.

If I have a tenant complain about a pest situation in my duplexes I inspect myself. If I determine the tenant brought them in they pay for removal or leave. I also inspect the other side. Whomever did the dead pays for the extermination.

Roaches are pretty easy to get rid or. Fleas are tougher. Thus far I have never dealt with bedbugs on my own, I have always hired it out.

At least in Pa, pest control in a MFH is the Landlords responsibility.

As far as those saying its Landlord's responsibility, this is pretty much redundant, its the exact dilemma and why I posted.

I don't know why you even bothered to answer lol.

>> If I have a tenant complain about a pest situation in my duplexes I inspect myself. If I determine the tenant brought them in they pay for removal or leave. I also inspect the other side. Whomever did the dead pays for the extermination.

Roaches are pretty easy to get rid or. Fleas are tougher. Thus far I have never dealt with bedbugs on my own, I have always hired it out. >>>

@Zero I'm happy to hear you say that, because I started calling exterminators and many of them are telling me they have no guarantee to eliminate roaches, some say they basically will just walk in and spray around, its up to the tenant to move stuff out of the way.... they charge, and then come back and charge again when there's still roaches. It sounds like a complete money pit to me.

We well know who is responsible, but how to get them to pay when you give them the bill and they simply say they have no money? They already signed the lease stating very clearly that they will pay for an exterminator if they bring them in, but now they're lying and saying they didn't.

>>>How about updating us on the wasp situation?>>>

It's good to plan ahead and have ways to deal with tenant caused infestation of pests. However some City's/County's have their own "Sets of rules"! In Los Angeles all pests treatments are the Responsibility of the owner and NOT the tenants.

However after the problem is resolved at the owners expense, if the owner can PROVE the pests were due to something the tenant did wrong, owners are free to sue the tenants for their costs.

Robert,OntarioCanada,

I agree with all except the water issue. Some insects will hibernate when no food is readily available. They don't intake water at that point either.

Bedbugs come to mind. They can live up to 18 months without food, IIRC.

Fleas can live quite a long time as well, although I think bedbugs beat them out on that front.