The bed bug resurgence has become quite a hot topic issue lately. In fact, a bill designating various responsibilities for landlords, tenants and pest management professionals in the prevention and management of bed bug infestations in multifamily housing was introduced at State Capitol legislature in downtown Phoenix, Arizona last week.
Under House Bill 2210, only properly licensed applicators would be permitted to treat for bed bugs in multifamily housing. Tenants would be required to notify their landlord once they detected a bed bug infestation and permit the landlord or licensed pest control operator access to the unit to conduct an inspection and perform mitigation activities.
According to the current draft of the bill, there will be some directives installed into law if the bill passes, and landlords will have to be more responsive to their tenants needs, at least when it comes to Bed Bugs.
This is a small section of the proposed bill
THE LANDLORD HAS THE FOLLOWING OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO A HOUSEHOLD PEST INFESTATION:
- THE LANDLORD SHALL MAINTAIN THE DWELLING UNIT FREE OF AN INFESTATION OF HOUSEHOLD PESTS AND SHALL MAINTAIN THE DWELLING UNIT AS PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 33-1324.
- THE LANDLORD SHALL NOT ENTER INTO ANY LEASE AGREEMENT WITH A TENANT FOR A DWELLING UNIT THAT THE LANDLORD KNOWS TO BE INFESTED.
- ON WRITTEN NOTICE FROM THE TENANT, WITHIN FIVE DAYS THE LANDLORD OR THE LANDLORD’S LICENSED PEST CONTROL PROVIDER SHALL VISUALLY INSPECT THE DWELLING UNIT FOR HOUSEHOLD PESTS. ON EVIDENCE THAT AN INFESTATION EXISTS IN THE DWELLING UNIT, WITHIN FIVE DAYS THE LANDLORD SHALL START THE PROCESS OF MITIGATION OF THE HOUSEHOLD PESTS IN THE DWELLING UNIT.
Now I have to tell you, I’m not a proponent of big government telling us what to do, however in some cases it is necessary, and I believe this to be one of those cases.
Bedbugs are prolific and spread like wildfire if left unmanaged. I have seen it time and time again in multi-housing units, the tenant that is complaining about the problem is often not the source of the problem, they request service, they do everything possible to have the problem go away, but it never does. This happens because the neighbors never report their problem, the landlord never finds out there is a problem, the landlord doesn’t want to spend more money, the tenant blames the landlord, the landlord say’s it’s the tenants fault. It is terrible circle of blame, while all the surrounding neighbors become infested.
This new bill, once it becomes Arizona law, will force an action, both landlords and tenants will have to work together to solve bedbug infestations. And best of all, professional pest management companies and bedbug experts like Invader Pest Management will be allowed to utilize a bedbug treatment protocol that will not only take care of bedbugs in the tenants unit, but also force inspections to all adjacent units with the law on their side allowing access to these units for inspection. Of course the bill as it has been introduced has some safeguard for tenant protection, such as a 48 hour notification to tenants, so nobody will be knocking doors down and surprising unsuspecting people.
Oh and to be fair, this is not a one-sided and an attack on landlords, the following paragraph is taken directly from the proposed bill, and is part of the tenant’s responsibility:
- A TENANT WHO FAILS TO NOTIFY THE LANDLORD OF THE PRESENCE OF A HOUSEHOLD PEST AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION MAY BE HELD LIABLE FOR ALL PEST CONTROL EXPENSES FOR THE DWELLING UNIT AND THE SURROUNDING UNITS THAT ARE OR MAY BECOME INFESTED. PEST CONTROL EXPENSES MAY INCLUDE THE COST OF THE PEST CONTROL TREATMENT OR TREATMENTS, REPAINTING OF SURFACES, REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF CARPET OR FLOORING, REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF CABINETS OR OTHER SURFACES, FURNITURE CLEANING AND REPLACEMENT, PROFESSIONAL CLEANING OF 1 CLOTHING, BEDDING AND MATTRESS COVERS AND TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS IN SURROUNDING UNITS THAT MAY BE DISPLACED FROM THEIR INFESTED DWELLING UNIT.
You might not understand the importance of this bill becoming a law at this time, but if you ever have a bedbug infestation and you saw your neighbor drag in an old couch, chair or mattress recently, they could have introduced the bedbugs to the whole building, and believe me – you will want as much help as possible to get rid of the bedbugs and possibly you will want the law on your side to make sure it happens.
I will keep you informed as this bill works it’s way through the Arizona Legislature.
For any bedbug problems or to schedule a FREE estimate, you can reach me at 623-435-0228 or contact me from my website http://www.invader.net/
Fred Willey, Owner/President of Invader Pest Management
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The building in which I work is infested with bed bugs! I work in a three floor building and the management and pest control team are not taking care of the entire problem at once. They are only bombing sections of each at a time with several days in between. I have contacted OSHA but I am terrified of bringing these critters home with me. I am in the process of packing up my home in order to move into a brand new house. I’m very scared. Is the likelihood of my taking these bug home with me very high? I haven’t seen any at my cubicle but they’ve been seen all around me. UKK!!!