Tenants Application (Moving due to bedbug/roach infestation)
Hey BP
Had an applicant apply for my unit.
Upon checking with the tenants references, their current landlord disclosed they are moving due to a bedbug/roach infestation. Without giving specifics to the applicant, I had asked about any "infestations" and they disclosed it. They mentioned they had "gotten rid of all possessions, except for some essentials", and that "pest control said if they treated and moved on the same day", they would be gone.
How can I be assured they won't introduce them to my property?
I pose this question on here, because otherwise, they check out fine and have passed other qualifications. However, I definitely want to err on the side of caution.
What to do?
Thanks guys!
Originally posted by @CJ B.:How can I be assured they won't introduce them to my property?
You can't.
You don't mention if the property they're coming from is a single family house or multi-family unit that is attached to other units. If it's a single family house, it's pretty much guaranteed that the infestation is their fault and that it will repeat itself in your property.
If it's a multi-family unit, I suppose it's possible that the roaches came from another attached unit. Perhaps even the bedbugs (though I'd say it's more likely they introduced those themselves). But have you ever seen a home infested with roaches and bed bugs? I have. They get on and in everything.
Regardless of whose fault it was, I personally wouldn't take an applicant moving from a home infested with both of these pests. It's just not worth the risk, because chances are you will end up having to treat for one or both in the near future.
I would recommend that the lease require the tenants to be responsible for pest control and that they must carry Renter's Insurance with Landlord as Additionally Insured. If they are "bug carriers," they will be responsible for their extinction and the security deposit can be offset if they fail to do so. I would note in the lease that the landlord is providing "habitable housing" at the time of lease (have them initial to acknowledge), that they had just departed a property that was infested, and that the tenants affirm that they have taken steps and will continue to do so to ensure this property is not infested.
In order words, document what you know, make them responsible for pest control, and get Renter's Insurance. I can't imagine that the bed bug infestation was a good experience for them either so I would accept them under these conditions.
Hope this helps...just one opinion.
I had a renter blame me for her roaches - that we treated multiple times and she brought from her previous residence. When push came to shove I told her that the cleanest tenant we had ever had in the house lived there before her. (Which was true). (There wasn’t anyway the roaches were there when she came. The house was move in ready when the previous tenant moved).
I told her she brought the roaches with her and she would take them to her next place too. (I couldn’t handle her blaming us for her roaches). They left and it took a month to get rid of the roaches! We would have to knock a couple roaches off of the walls during showings and hope that no one noticed. This is a nice house in a good B neighborhood that we rented to a C minus tenant. These people have to move pretty often because the roaches get overwhelming - they can’t change their bad habits to get rid of them!
DON’T rent to them! You’ll have a quick turnover and a big headache!
I just had a tenant inquire about getting a treatment for rats and roaches. They were an inherited tenant and I told them that pest control is a tenant responsibility. (that's what our contract states but they're not under a contract at this time.) This is an SFR that they've been in for 8 years.
NO NO NO!!!! They will bring the bedbugs with them, no matter how hard they try not to. The only way that they could avoid bringing the bedbugs with them is if they arrived naked and barefoot, with NOTHING. (Well, if you're highly motivated and have educated yourself about how to move without bringing the bedbugs, there is a CHANCE of doing it - but why would you trust them?)
Always ask people nicely why they're moving. If they say, "It was time...", ask nicely again and again, sounding very open and understanding, and they will talk. If they're moving because they're coming from a bad neighborhood with shooting, fine. If it's a landlord who won't fix things, ask what he won't fix - if it's something that you would not hesitate to fix, fine. If they're moving due to rats or mice, fine - they don't follow the tenant. But if it's roaches, they'll bring them in their possessions, although it's possible to eradicate the roaches once they're in your unit, if you find out early enough. Bedbugs? 100% guaranteed that they will come with the tenants, it will cost you thousands, and you will never get rid of them.
And making the tenant responsible for extermination costs in the lease means NOTHING. It's YOUR house that gets infested, and if they don't pay for it, you have to. Just don't take them.
Roaches in the south are endemic. You really must have regular pest control.
Here in Ohio, roaches are not nearly so bad. We keep on hand at all times: Advion gel bait stations for roaches and ants and fastrack blox for mice.
I wouldn't count on tenants to perform adequate pest control. My lease makes tenants responsible but I tell them to notify me at the first sighting and I'll provide them with the good stuff to put out and they probably won't need to call a pro.
We had bed bugs last year. It was horrible. Our landlord called an exterminator and they took care of it after a couple of times coming. We had to incase our mattresses. Put all our belongings in bags. Wash anything that we wanted to wear. We had a mild infestation so we were able to take care of it but kept a lot of things in bags for 8 months. It wasn’t the end of the world but hard to deal with.
Thank you all for your responses. Great suggestions.
I've been a landlord for a long time but this case is a new frontier scenario for me, which has made me reevaluate my screening process even further. What a lesson! Grateful their reference disclosed their reason for moving, because this issue wasn't even in my thought process.
That being said, any suggestions on the best legal way to deny someone based on this particular scenario? I just want to make sure I'm playing by the book here. Thanks!!!
Originally posted by @CJ B.:Thank you all for your responses. Great suggestions.
I've been a landlord for a long time but this case is a new frontier scenario for me, which has made me reevaluate my screening process even further. What a lesson! Grateful their reference disclosed their reason for moving, because this issue wasn't even in my thought process.
That being said, any suggestions on the best legal way to deny someone based on this particular scenario? I just want to make sure I'm playing by the book here. Thanks!!!
Is your state a first qualified applicant state? Meaning you have to take the first qualified tenant? If not, then just let them know that you are going to continue to take applications. Where I am you don't have to give a response within X days. Just sit on the application if you aren't too keen on renting to them (hint - I wouldn't be). Who knows - they may not be happy that you're stalling and they may just withdraw their application, which would get you off the hook of having to reject them.
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Real Estate Agent CT (#0807610) and MA (#9557050)
- Connecticut Property Management
@CJ B. yes your tenant will be financially responsible for pests but you can't guarantee they will act on those responsibilities; unfortunately, a lesson recently learned. Between @Karen F. and @Filipe Pereira you got the best advice possible...Don't rent to them and wait for a non bed-bug infested tenant. Additional vacancy will more likely be less than you'd be spending on pest remediation if you were to experience a real problem. Good luck!