Bed Bugs In Multifamily Homes. Bed Bugs and The Lease

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Multi-Family Housing, Bed Bugs and the Lease

Bed bugs are extremely difficult to eradicate in any structure. When bed bugs infest multifamily homes such as apartments, condos, duplexes, hotels, motels and dorms it is the worst situation. Bed bugs can spread from unit to unit through the shared walls, floors, and ceilings. Treating the infested unit improperly could cause the bugs to spread to adjacent units. In most cases, the infested unit must have a bed bug treatment along with adjacent units.

Bed bugs do not discriminate. They don’t care if you’re rich or poor, clean or dirty, educated or not. They will infest any structure that has a human presence. The nicest five star hotel, or the zero star motel. They occur just as frequently in both situations.

It is quite common to find severe bed bug infestations in multifamily homes due to the high overturn of occupants. Different families will often cycle through multifamily homes, leasing for a period and then moving. Another family will move in after that and so on. And with hotels, the overturn is even greater. These situations create more opportunity for bed bugs to be introduced, it also gives them an opportunity to spread to adjacent units.

Does your lease mention bed bugs?

It is very difficult to determine exactly where the bed bugs came from. It is also then difficult to determine who is at fault for the bed bug infestation, the owner or the tenant. Was the unit infested before the current tenant signed the lease? Did the tenant bring the bed bugs with them when they moved in? Are the bed bugs coming from another unit through the wall voids? The situation will vary case by case. The landlord is always responsible to provide a “safe and habitable environment”. The tenant is responsible, (in AZ), to not knowingly bring bed bugs into the structure. Often times there are pest control terms in the lease that determine who will be responsible for any pest infestations, including bug bugs. Professional help is always needed to get rid of bed bugs.

If you’re a renter in Arizona check this link out. Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act 2012 

How Do You Get Bed Bugs?

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How you get bed bugs.

As you are traveling this holiday season please be vigilant of stowaway vampires, bed bugs. They can be hiding anywhere, but are most commonly found in apartments, dorm rooms, hotels, and rental homes. These creatures are the ultimate hitchhikers and can fit into the smallest hiding places out of sight. During the day, these creatures hide so well they can be almost impossible to detect. You can pick up these hitchhikers while visiting friends and family – or they can be delivered to your home via your friends and family. They do not fly or jump, however they are very quick, skillful climbers. They can climb onto/into clothing, purses, or suitcases. They will crawl onto your clothing, even during the day, if you sit for more than a few minutes. Buying used furniture or other items can also introduce bedbugs into the home. These are the most common ways to get a bed bug infestation.

Nest Pest

Infestations can also occur if you have an infestation of bats or birds in your attic or wall. These bugs also feed on bats and birds, while living in their nests. When the population of these bugs increase, they will look for food elsewhere – like your nest (your bed). Once an infestation is established it is very difficult to eliminate.

What do bed bugs look like?

Bedbugs are oval shaped, brown or reddish brown, and slightly smaller than an apple seed as adults. They are about 4mm in length at their largest, but will be much smaller as juveniles. The juvenile bed bugs can be nearly invisible, they can be the size of a pin head just after hatching. The juveniles are nearly translucent unless they are full of bright red blood. At any life stage, the bed bug’s bodies are very flat and paper thin. Once they have fed, they become a darker brown/red, they become elongated and engorged.