Overview
Renting a home or an apartment opens the door to some common issues faced by renters. Insect infestations are one of the most serious problems tenants face. Roaches, ants, bedbugs and other insects can create health difficulties. The issues become even worse when landlords refuse to provide help.
Infestations
Bug issues become a significant issue when they become a major infestation. Roaches, ants, bedbugs and other pests can infest a home in lots of ways. They may be the leftover reminders of a previous tenant that failed to take required measures to control pests. Pests also might infest homes in need of renovation for problems such as cracks in walls and windows. In some cases, landlords dispute if they are responsible for the infestation.
Neglectful Landlord
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, significant insect and insect infestation constitutes an unacceptable living condition–and landlords are legally required to provide suitable living conditions for tenants. Therefore, landlords are bound to manage pest control; it isn’t the tenant’s responsibility. Some landlords, though, neglect this obligation or offer insufficient pest control. That leaves it to tenants to decide how to react. One option is to pay a professional business for pest control service. Another option is to look for legal assistance to force the landlord to meet his duties. A third option is to use a legal technique referred to as repair and deduct. According to the legal website NOLO.com, most states have a law that allows tenants to subtract from their lease the cost of addressing substantial difficulties, including pest control. Tenants can look for this relief without permission and without filing a lawsuit. To use the legislation, though, the issue must pose a health or safety hazard, and landlords unwilling to cover pest control costs might assert that a pest issue doesn’t meet the criteria.
Legal Problems
While landlords are required to provide suitable living conditions, they and their renters may differ over if household pests such as roaches and ants make a house or apartment unlivable. Therefore, you may need to prove your case in court to force your landlord to take action against a pest issue. You could spend much longer in court costs than it would cost to deal with the problem yourself. Heading to courtroom also deteriorates the relationship between tenant and landlord, and could lead to problems in other areas.
Outdoor Problems
Insect problems aren’t just limited to the indoors. Some issues arise outside, also. Ants, including army and fire ants, can make playing in the lawn difficult for young children. Some lawns also bring in spiders, which can become a nuisance when they weave webs in doorways and in areas in which families gather. Many spiders are poisonous, also, and make the issue more than a nuisance. Unfortunately, landlords aren’t responsible for outdoor pest management. Some may offer help, but they have no obligation. Therefore, you could have trouble convincing a landlord to help with an outside insect issue.