Bedbugs... landlord or tenants' responsibility?

[LdiJ]

We have had mattresses delivered with some frequency in recent years because our children have gone from cribs to youth beds to twin beds. I don’t know what you mean by “it works differently these days than it used to work.”

I tend to trust the bedbug expert over your experience with bedbugs.

Ok, another one of your "I am the expert no matter what" deals. I can live with that.

 

[quincy]

Ok, another one of your "I am the expert no matter what" deals. I can live with that.

What are you talking about? I provided an interview with a bedbug expert.

Here is another one, this from Scientific American:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bed-bug-expert-explains-defend-yourself/

 

[Zigner]

Ok, another one of your "I am the expert no matter what" deals. I can live with that.

You've got it exactly backwards. You posted anecdotal "evidence" as if it were gospel truth and refuse to acknowledge expert advice that differs from your limited experience.

 

[stealth2]

Visiting a hotel that is infected with bed bugs or visiting another home infected with bed bugs is a far more likely source.

I'm wondering when OP eradicated bedbugs in his own home - depending on that timeline, it's entirely possible that HE introduced them to the rental...

 

[FarmerJ]

Curious , So just to be sure this is a single family home and how far apart from neighboring homes is it ? ( wondering it it was like my first house that was maybe four to four 1/2 feet from the neighbor home) it its enough of a distance from neighboring homes with this current tenant being behind it may be a better choice to just cut your losses and evict based on non payment and live with the cost of treating your unit once its empty, As to the bugs them self , with your tenant having lived there for three years those bugs had to be brought in to the home by something they brought home and that might be that they were guest in a home that had them and accidently carried the into the house . If these tenants had only lived there a short time it would be harder to figure out if they were left by a previous tenant or introduced by the new tenant .. figure it out, meaning what are the odds they would actually get the rent caught up and be able to pay you for extermination ? BTW taking a tenant to court for unpaid rent when they are behind is not retaliation

 

[Onceagain33]

There just isn’t anyway to assign blame. There have been documented cases of people picking up bedbugs from brushing by the coat of someone who was unknowingly carrying them. Even Bloomingdales had bedbugs in their store at one point.

I an effort to get my tenants to curb risky behavior....I included in the leases an addendum they were required to read and sign...it detailed the steps they would have to take to comply with the exterminator. It is horrific. Emptying the entire house of all toys and clothing to be dry cleaned. All closets and dresser empty and pulled away from the walls. Mattresses had to be covered with cases purchased by tenant from exterminator...to be left on for 3 months.....etc. etc. etc. just a nightmare process (copied directly from the exterminators directions). Scare them into working hard to avoid the more risky stuff like bringing in used clothing without washing in hot water and tumble dry on hot first. No used furniture, bedding, etc.

I suggest you do something like that also to cover yourself in the future. In NY and NJ there were cases back in the 90s that found the landlord responsible for the cost, since it could not be directly attributed to bad acts on the part of the tenants. So, I would pay the money...but the tenant would pay in having their entire household turned upside down....twice...2 weeks apart. It worked for me to prevent an occurance