Bed bugs can be a huge problem in any home.
It is particularly bothersome when they’re found in a rental.
It happens to even the best of rental properties because those pesky bugs can hitch a ride on virtually anything to enter the building.
As a tenant, you must report bed bugs right away.
An inspector will then come into the home to determine if an infestation has occurred.
Who Pays For The Bed Bug Removal?
This depends on how the bed bugs were introduced into property in the first place.
If the tenant has brought in the bed bugs, even unintentionally, then the cost of their removal will be their responsibility.
Otherwise landlords are required to provide habitable accommodations and that would make it their responsibility.
Does An Insurance Policy Cover Bed Bug Removal?
Sometimes landlord insurance will cover the cost of bed bug removal.
Although this limits the costs in the short-term to restore the property, any claims on an insurance policy will typically raise the rates of the next premium.
What Kind Of Rental Property Is It?
If tenants are renting a single family home and have been doing so for at least 6 months, then there’s a good chance that it will be the tenant responsibility to remove the bed bug infestation.
It can be more difficult to prove a specific tenant brought in bed bugs in an apartment complex, so in that circumstance it is more likely that the landlord will be stuck with the overall cost.
Can Tenant’s Withhold Rent For a Bed Bug Issue?
The answer to this depends on what the landlord/tenant laws happen to be.
In most instances, you’ll still need to pay rent as a tenant until the landlord has been notified in writing of the problem.
If the problem remains unresolved after a specific amount of time, then the cost of extermination can be paid by the tenant and then the amount of that bill can be deducted from the rent.
In most circumstances, the party responsible for the bed bug infestation is the one that will need to pay for the removal of them.
Make sure you know your rights and responsibilities under your landlord/tenant laws and what your leasing agreement says.
That way you’ll know what steps need to be taken to remove this pest for good.
