Tenants says they have bed bugs. I pay or tenants pays?

Deanna McCormick

Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

@Kurt K.

What type of rental is this ?? apartments or single family.. any shared walls with other units..

Bed bugs will travel thru common walls via electrical outlets and have been known to spread to adjoining units. So if possible I'd check surrounding units for same issue.

Heat treatment usually get's best results.

This pest issues is a big expense and really hard to control if tenant does not comply with complete instructions for handling their furniture and personal belongings and electronics during treatment.

Pest addendum is great for pest control services and responsibility but like you said it's hard to be judge as to how the pest was introduced.. at this point you need to service and control issue for your property investment.

Any furniture / mattresses put out side for disposal mark with spray paint BED BUGS so it's not transferred back into the building..

2 Reply

OP

Rental Property Investor · Phoenix AZ / Kendallville, IN · Member since 2016 · 293 posts · 149 votes

@Deanna McCormick Thanks for your feedback Deanna. It is a SFH. And yes, we are wanting to get rid of these ASAP and I'm sure the tenant does too and would comply to the instructions in order to get rid of them. I will look into the heat treatment.

Deanna McCormick

Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

@Kurt K.

Good luck I had tenant that was told to also treat their car !!

and great source for bed bug contamination for tenants is the RENTAL VAN they used for moving.

OP

Rental Property Investor · Phoenix AZ / Kendallville, IN · Member since 2016 · 293 posts · 149 votes

Here is some interesting info from the internet

Bed Bug Behavior

In order to understand how to most effectively treat and prevent bed bugs one must understand typical bed bug behavior.

1) Bed bugs attempt to feed if there is a feed source

One fact that you may have heard is bed bugs can live up to 18 months without feeding. While this is true, this is only if they are hibernating. An active bed bug will only live for 4 to 10 months. Also, if there is an accesible feed source for a bed bug, they will attempt to feed- they will not lay dormant. Even if they cannot reach their feedsource due to the use of proper barrier products, they will not stop attempting to feed.

2) Bed bugs infest near their feed source

Bed bugs are lazy creatures and don't like having to travel too far for their feed source. Anything more than a few feet from the bed or feed source drastically reduces the likihood of harbouring a bed bug. You may find some bed bugs not close to a bed or feed source, but realize they are not infesting where you found them. They are in the process of migrating to a feed souce when you found them. This impacts your treament efforts in 2 ways.

The first is you don't really need to concentrate your efforts outside of the immediete feed source area. This is because any bugs outside of the area will be inside of the area as soon as they migrate there.

The second is do not remove the original feed source. If you do so, bed bugs will begin scatter in as little as a day to look for a new feed source and the problem will no longer be contained to 1 room. The main reason someone leaves the point of infestation is to avoid getting bitten. Althouh logical, this creates a bigger problem. Know that if you are treating properly within our treatment methodologies of isolating, decontaming, and residual kill you will not be getting bitten after your first treatment. You will be isolated from bed bugs attemptting to feed and they will not be able to. During their feed attempts they will come into contact with the residual insecticide and die shortly theirafter.

Kevin Farrell

Specialist · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2016 · 74 posts · 43 votes

The tenants may have been exposed to BB after moving in. When tenants move into a house that has BB in it, they will be complaining loudly with in the first few weeks. If it is now 8 months after move in - then they brought them in somehow. Get a good professional pest control company to do an inspection and give opinion and estimate how long the problem has been in the home. I can't really tell you how to pick a good company, but there are a lot of shady ones out there including the big guys. Not everyone knows BB and not everyone wants to work with them.

Heat is the most expensive way to treat but not the best. Get some quotes and only deal with a company that will guarantee the work. Many don't guarantee results with BB. As an investor you should take the time to get a good pest guy on your team.

There is a lot of misinformation about BB out there. Tenants use that information to try to make this your problem. Yes, BB can live 12 to 14 months without feeding, but will not do so when there are people in the home. They don't "hibernate" or become "dormant". They eat our blood and make more BB and live in their own waste.

3 Reply

OP

Rental Property Investor · Phoenix AZ / Kendallville, IN · Member since 2016 · 293 posts · 149 votes

@Kevin Farrell I'm thinking they brought them in too. Like you said, its been 8 months since they moved in. If they were there when they moved in, we would of noticed. I thought I would at least pay for the inspection, but I'm thinking the tenant will need to pay for removal.

I have a PM and she is taking care of it. She uses a company that she has worked with for a long time, so should be good in that front.

Thanks for your input.

Thomas S.

Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes

Your tenants brought them in, most likely from a friend or a piece of used furniture they recently brought in. Hold them financially responsible. "Model " tenants do not cause infestations.

IF you think that because they are model tenants you do not want to risk losing them foot the bill yourself. Expect to have the problem resurface and pay to retreat if they are the source of the infestation. Guaranteed they will bring them in again. Maybe next time you may not wish to keep these good tenants.

OP

Rental Property Investor · Phoenix AZ / Kendallville, IN · Member since 2016 · 293 posts · 149 votes

@Thomas S. I guess there not "model" tenants anymore. lol Yes, I do think they brought them in and it could be a number of things as you suggested. So I'm thinking they need to be accountable and the lease states that we don't pay for pests. So the tenants should be responsible.

Ian WalshBusiness Member

Lender · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

We usually hold to our lease terms and go by that.

Deborah BurianPro Member

Rental Property Investor · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 412 votes

We have dealt with this issue, used the heat treatment and paid for it ourselves. We do NOT want an infested property so if the tenants are causing the problem, the tenants will have to go but we'll still take care of the treatment. The bug guy tells me that bed bugs are "hitchhikers" and anyone can get them. Ick.

Tyler Ansell

Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2015 · 293 posts · 175 votes

The tenants brought them in and should be held responsible for the treatment. They can pick them up a million different places. Don't pay for that.

Rich N.Pro Member

Investor · Haverhill, MA · Member since 2015 · 761 posts · 328 votes

I am betting the tenant brought them in, but you need to check with your local laws and board of health. In Massachusetts, the board of health doesn't care who, they consider it a health issue and require the owner to pay for it.......lovable liberal tenant friendly state of MA.

2 Reply

Mike HurneyPro Member

Real Estate Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 542 votes

@Rich N. I agree, get them out now!

Mike HurneyPro Member

Real Estate Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 542 votes

@Kurt K. Anyone try these? Charles at National gave them to us last year. (sorry the image didn't rotate:-(

Jack B.

Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

I JUST went through this a couple months ago. Lived in the house myself, had a long term tenant, got a new tenant, who immediately complained of bed bugs. Inspector found NONE, not even eggs or poop. Sure enough, they became a huge hassle, demanding more bed bug inspections each time I tried to get them to pay their rent, follow lease terms, etc. Luckily I only do MTM leases and just gave them notice to move after that (I had already had a chat with them about their accusations and attitude toward me and gave them a chance).

Had another inspection done after they moved out, just in case, since they lie at every turn, claiming I said this, and promised them that, and that the house was infested with bed bugs and they were moving out early and that I told them I would give them a refund, etc. Except no such thing was ever said and all their claims are easily proven as lies.

Funny thing the tenant claimed they were staying at a hotel/motel and called them and they said they had no beg bug infestation, etc. Too bad it turned out they were actually living in another rental house and stated so on their application. Suffice it to say, bed bug inspections from two different inspectors found no bed bugs.

Be warned, lot's of scammers out there who try to get out of paying rent until their imaginary problems are fixed. Bed bug heat treatment is expensive, as already noted. Since they are complaining 8 months into their tenancy, I'd make them pay it or kick them out. Even after they move out I would take the cost of heat treatment out of their deposit as no reasonable person could claim the bed bugs existed the whole time but they are only now complaining about it 8 months later. They brought the bed bugs into your house....

Rich N.Pro Member

Investor · Haverhill, MA · Member since 2015 · 761 posts · 328 votes

@Mike Hurney

I have not tried that brand. I have tried the purple color fogger box at HD. But it was as a precaution as the exiting tenants was filthy, so I fogged it for safety. Its dirt cheap like 8 bucks for 3 cans, so I buy at least 2 boxes.

I do this when I suspect it because if they move in and complain to the board of health and they find it they require I hire a professional exterminator and they want the paid invoice as proof.

Mike HurneyPro Member

Real Estate Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 542 votes

@Jack B. "Be warned, lot's of scammers out there who try to get out of paying rent until their imaginary problems are fixed."

Really! ;-)

How did you vet that Tenant?

MTM - Tenant at Will, here in Massachusetts is the best, that's the only lease I use!

@Rich N. "purple color fogger box at HD"

I needed it for fleas this past Summer, ugh!

Max Fletcher

Logan, UT · Member since 2016 · 2 posts · 1 vote

I own a pest control company. My advise for you is go to Domyownpestcontrol.com and do some research. you might spend $200 dollars and learn a lot about the problem and buy everything that you need to get rid of the issue.

Jack B.

Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

Originally posted by @Mike Hurney:

@Jack B. "Be warned, lot's of scammers out there who try to get out of paying rent until their imaginary problems are fixed."

Really! ;-)

How did you vet that Tenant?

MTM - Tenant at Will, here in Massachusetts is the best, that's the only lease I use!

@Rich N. "purple color fogger box at HD"

I needed it for fleas this past Summer, ugh!

tenantbackgroundsearch.com, but no matter how hard you vett (sp?) you can end up with a professional tenant. Some people just know how to game the system and keep from having an eviction on their record. And who knows who you are talking to on the other end when checking references....You can try to pry info about the house to see if it's the actual landlord, but even then scammers are pro's and have this down pat...

Emma Morris

Investor · Modesto, CA · Member since 2016 · 20 posts · 9 votes

Hi y'all,

This is my go to product for many household uses. The product is called Diatomaceous Earth, great natural product. Do some research on it and good luck!

2 Reply

Dante Pirouz

Investor · Almont, MI · Member since 2015 · 361 posts · 302 votes

http://www.bedbugpowder.com/home.php

@Emma Morris is spot on!! The only (and dirt cheap) and permanent way to get rid of bed bugs (heat and traps won't work permanently; they will come back) is this product:

It is made of diatomaceous earth and cuts their bodies so they bleed to death but it is like baby powder so it is safe around babies, pets, peoples and perfectly harmless!!! Buy some of it and tell the tenants to sprinkle it all over and you will have the problem solved!!! We have kept a bottle of it in the tool kit for years just in case we ever have the problem in the future it is THAT GOOD!!

Emma Morris

Investor · Modesto, CA · Member since 2016 · 20 posts · 9 votes

Wow! Glad to hear someone knows what I am talking about. It is best to buy the food grade one. I use it to kill bugs, put it in my face wash, brush my teeth for coffee stains, and have also taken it to detox. It is a great natural product and I would rather use it than pesticides and toxins to kill bugs. My friend uses it on her pets to keep fleas away and feeds it to them for worms. Help that helps and again good luck. A happy 3-day weekend to all!!!

Emma

Emma Morris

Investor · Modesto, CA · Member since 2016 · 20 posts · 9 votes

Wow! Glad to hear someone knows what I am talking about. It is best to buy the food grade one. I use it to kill bugs, put it in my face wash, brush my teeth for coffee stains, and have also taken it to detox. It is a great natural product and I would rather use it than pesticides and toxins to kill bugs. My friend uses it on her pets to keep fleas away and feeds it to them for worms. Help that helps and again good luck. A happy 3-day weekend to all!!!

Emma

Kevin Farrell

Specialist · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2016 · 74 posts · 43 votes

Diatomaceous Earth used to be effective for BB. Current research by Dr. Potter at the University of Kentucky and others has shown a mortality rate of less than 50% when used on BB infestations. Not nearly good enough to eliminate an established infestation of BB. Eliminating BB is hard work, takes special knowledge and experience. I suggest that you hire professional help for BB. Like most things in real estate investing, get a Pest company on your team before you need him.