Bugs in the apartment! Legal recourse?

[DizzyArnaz]

I came home from work a couple of weeks ago to see that maintenance had been in and had "sprayed for insects". They do this every year. Almost 3 years in the same townhouse and I've never had problems with insects. I'm aware of the problems people have with insects and the prospect of being able to break lease scot-free because of it. I don't keep a filthy household that warrants insect infestations...I'm messy, but I clean my used dishes every day (no thanks to modern dishwashers) and take precautions to make sure the "undesirable tenants" stay out.

Still, I've found at least 10 insects in my house in the last two days. They don't appear to be cockroaches, but this is still a pressing matter, as I DO NOT wish to have insects in my house on a regular basis.

I have a self-renewing lease on my place, and I've already called them out on trying to raise my rent when it states in my lease that it self-renews at the same monthly rent I pay per month.

Does anybody have suggestions about DIY pest control and possible legal recourse I might have against my management company?

 

[ctr]

Just curious, why a legal recourse? What has been your loss financially to warrant a suit? Is it just that you want out of your lease?

Just curious.

 

[DizzyArnaz]

I probably used the wrong choice of words there.

It's not that I want out of my lease. I like living where I am, as it's close to work and a decent neighborhood. Basically, I just want to know what steps I should take now besides having the maintenance guys come out and spray again. I've already taken preventative measures in previous years by using roach motels and such to keep the insects at bay. And transitively, is it a possibility to get out of a lease for such a complaint? I have a vacant on the one side of me, and the other is occupied by a family of 5.

 

[calcustom]

What type of insects are they?
Were they all the same kind?
When found were they dead or alive?

 

[DizzyArnaz]

Most definitely alive, and of different ages and of the same type. I'm not an entomologist, so I couldn't tell you what they are exactly, except that they're not ants and not big enough to be cockroaches.

They certainly act like roaches though, in that they're sensitive to light. I've gotten up in the middle of the night the last couple of nights for a drink, turned the light on and found them scurrying on my kitchen counter.

EDIT: Also congregating near the cat's food/water bowls as I've just found.

 

[bamafan64]

In townhouses and apartments, you're at the mercy of your neighbors. They don't keep a clean house, they won't be the only ones to pay the price.

 

[calcustom]

Light sensitive.
Not good.
Maybe call them back and have them do a reapplication?
Hopefully the spray will get them and your problems will be over.

 

[DizzyArnaz]

Le sigh...I just tried to get a picture of them for the thread and they scurried away before I could get a good shot of them. I'm calling my dude in maintenance first thing in the morning.

 

[Don]

In townhouses and apartments, you're at the mercy of your neighbors. They don't keep a clean house, they won't be the only ones to pay the price.

+1

Try bait traps and natural insect spray. There are sprays made with clove and/or mint that are non-toxic, smell nice, and work.

 

[DavyRay]

I'd suggest a pump shotgun loaded with rat-shot. The sound of the pump action will probably scare the critters into the next apartment. The sound of you shooting at the critters will keep your neighbors from inviting themselves to your parties.

If you hear a snic-snak sound in the night, though, just roll off the bed and roll under it.

 

[DizzyArnaz]

Yeah, non-toxic is preferrable, as I have cats. Don't want them getting sick from chasing down and eating one of the MF'ers after I lay bait down. Either way I'm calling the maintenance guy in the morning. I think I'm going to add him to my speed dial...

 

[DizzyArnaz]

I'd suggest a pump shotgun loaded with rat-shot. The sound of the pump action will probably scare the critters into the next apartment. The sound of you shooting at the critters will keep your neighbors from inviting themselves to your parties.

If you hear a snic-snak sound in the night, though, just roll off the bed and roll under it.

 

[DavyRay]

The speed-dial option for maintenance is probably your best idea. Or, you could just stop feeding your cats. My cats love little protein snacks. It's kinda gross, but it is nature's way.

 

[calcustom]

Wait.....maybe the cats will take care of them.
Then again if they are like mine they will just watch them walk by and wait for the next handout...

 

[ctr]

They like water and don't like light. Interesting.

Try to eliminate food and water sources. Look in the cabinet under the sink. Also pull out a bottom kitchen drawer - take it all the way out of the rails and look down in the under cabinet cavity and see what is there. Also, clean out under/behind the stove, as well as the refrigerator drip pan.

 

[DizzyArnaz]

They like water and don't like light. Interesting.

Try to eliminate food and water sources. Look in the cabinet under the sink. Also pull out a bottom kitchen drawer - take it all the way out of the rails and look down in the under cabinet cavity and see what is there. Also, clean out under/behind the stove, as well as the refrigerator drip pan.

Holy cow, I did ALL OF THIS after I watched that stupid killer cockroaches episode of X-Files last night. Spent an hour and a half cleaning the damn kitchen. To add insult to paranoia, I didn't find any evidence of a nest.

 

[Agent8426]

Your lease contract, local codes, or both will alot the "legal" responsibility for bug control in your townhouse. You should review both the lease contract and your local muni codes.

Your best course of action when dealing with any rental issues is to contact the landlord in writing regarding the problem. Keep a copy of all letters and document any landlord responses.

Generally the landlord will have a "reasonable" time to address the problem.

If the problem is not addressed and you feel you cannot work with your landlord you can:
1) Move out.
2) Pay your rent into escrow (contact the county), and let the courts work it out.

 

[cleancut]

Look in your Yellow Pages under pest control and see if there are any "Do it yourself" pest control supply stores locally. If not see if you can find a John Deere (formally "Lesco") store that sells fertilizer and pest control poducts. What you want is a product called "Demon WP". It is the product that most pest control operators use and it's safe when used correctly and according to instructions. The smallest amount you can buy is probably a foil pouch containing 4 water soluable plastic pouches containing the powered poison. These are very convenient as all you have to do is drop one packet into 1 gal of water contained in a 1 gal pump up sprayer (Wal-Mart has the sprayers for $8.95, everyone should own one). The price of the Demon WP should be in the neighborhood of $20 - $25 for a foil packet that contains 4 applications. Each application should last you for 2 months unless you are really infested. If the Demon WP doesn't work you need to take one of the bugs to the place you buy the product from for them to identify for you. It sounds to me like you have German Roaches.

(Edit) Oops, forgot to tell you how to use the stuff. After you've mixed the product in your pump up sprayer, spray it using the finest mist you can get from the wand on all of your baseboards, under stove, under dishwasher, under sinks and vanitys, at door and window thresholds. Put away or cover all foodstuffs while spraying and keep the cats away until dry.

 

[DizzyArnaz]

Or, you could just stop feeding your cats.

The one is a tub nicknamed Sumo, so I'm sure she could use the starvation treatment

 

[toucanlamp]

The laws vary, I am in Saskatchewan and was reading some website about landlord-tenant issues. It said that if you report a problem with bugs to the landlord and they don't address it, you can file a complaint with the public health authority and then serve the landlord with notice that if they don't take action within 14 days, you will consider the lease voided. And so then, if they don't do anything, you can leave and that's it, if they do, then you can't.

So, it is the landlord's legal responsibility to provide a pest-free enviroment to tenants. But, all they have to be doing is taking steps to address the problem. Having bug problems and having treatments fail even multiple times is not grounds for breaking a lease. And this can often be the case, some things, like serious bedbug infestations can be a really difficult problem to eliminate.

Don't try DIY stuff. The experts would say that it almost always makes the problem worse because it disperses pests and then they set up shop all throughout your place instead of maybe being concentrated in a certain area because they are getting in from one specific place.

So, all I would say is - go and read up on the laws on tenant-landlord issues for wherever you live, it's probably on a website - and then go from there. I don't know if things might be different in the States, where the kind of legal protections for individuals are often much, much weaker when it comes to stuff like that - rental issues, employment etc. If you see that they have the responsibility to deal with the problem, then insist that they hire a pest control professional, and then if they refuse, serve them notice that you are terminating the lease - and make sure you do it formally and properly - and then move out.