Landlord or Tenant: Who is responsible for bed bugs?

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Nobody is fond of bed bugs. Many people get creeped out because they can literally come from the bed into our skin to wreak havoc. These are parasites that are common everywhere. This isn’t a problem in undeveloped countries, but right here in your home.

When it comes to a rented home, landlords should know that it isn’t because the tenant isn’t clean or tidy. These parasites can get in through common ways and things we never even thought of. Old furniture, books or they could be attached to our clothes when we get in touch with an area surrounded by these insects.

The most obvious way to stop bed bug infestation is to keep everything clean that doesn’t attract these insects. That includes constant washing around our bedroom and bathroom. Bed bugs are microscopic bugs that usually aren’t seen because they blend in with any color. They get darker when they age but smaller to apple seed and thin as a card.

So, whose responsibility is it?

Usually, the landlord because of the cleanliness of the unit, but the tenant shares responsibility in preventing bed bug infestation. It isn’t an emergency like other issues, so landlords should talk to tenants about coming in when it is time to get the bug man to spray the place down.

The early detection, the better infestation can be attacked, such as finding the source within vents, dirty clothes, and unwashed dishes. This gives pest control an easy way to do the job properly and kill the bed bugs to stop their spreading. If they aren’t stopped, the infestation grows and the costs of getting rid of them go up. Bed bugs can easily jump from one place to another, so your neighbors could be affected as well. The landlord must pay for the cost of treating the bed bugs and tenants should warn neighbors. Another way to stop the bed bugs is to be prepared and plan out how to stop them. We should know what treatments are effective and what we can do to stop bed bugs from forming their colony.

See also: Practical Points To Remember When Choosing Your Rental

A new way to stop the bed bugs is heat treatment, a fairly new process which has proven to work in killing bed bugs. Heat treatment is not just turning a heater and leaving it for a certain amount of time. What certain heaters can do, besides being a bit dangerous to handle (occupants should move their belongings out while the heater is on because they could get easily damaged), it reaches a certain temperature all around the room from corner to corner that roasts any pest still hiding around.

In Conclusion

With bed bugs, it is better to call a professional to handle the issue. The specialist will help the landlord and tenant on what to do after clearing the pests out and inspect the home.