Bed Bugs in rented apt.

derv60

Hi all, looking for some advice.

I'll try make this a short as possible. Moved into an apt. with a couple of mates about 9 months ago. Thru the course of the winter we suffered with very bad dampness and condensation on the inside of the bedroom windows. We reported it to the landlord, but they said it was because we didn't open the windows enough They did nothing about it.

Now a couple of months on we have bed bugs in two of the rooms. We are unsure weither they came from the dampness, weither they were in the apt before we moved in (they can stay dorment for 18months) or we brought them in ourselves?

Who would have to pay for the place to be treated, landlord or tenant? We got a price of 600euro for it.

Any help appreciated, thanks.

jeepers101

I had bed bugs before in a rented apartment that I had been renting for just under a year. The landlord was liable to pay for the clean up as he was unable to prove that they weren't there when we moved in. I feel for you, they are an absolute nightmare to try and deal with. We moved out and got the apartment sprayed three times. The night we moved back in we found one. It turns out the poison won't work if there's nobody living there. The bed bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide from your breath so they'll stay in hiding and away from the poison if they don't sense it. Also, try to do as little research on the little critters as you can, some of the stories I heard had me missing a lot of sleep.

ash2008

i had this problem before too - moved into an apartment that already had them. The landlord got the place sprayed which worked....for a few months, then they came back. This doesnt mean the spraying didnt work, but i was in an apartment block and they only sprayed some apartments. Apparently bed bugs can spread through cracks, underneath doors etc..so you really need to get the whole place done not just your apartment. Otherwise, theyll move next door and then eventually end back in your place.

If you makes you feel better, they dont carry any diseases so you cant get sick, just bloody itchy if they bite you. Apart from spraying, you should check your mattress. You can get sheets that cover the mattress so if there is any in there they cant get out.Of course, it takes months for them to die so you'd need to leave it on for a long time.

And if you did move out, make sure you check your stuff. Bed bugs are becoming a big problem these days cos so many people travel and they hitch hike on peoples luggage. Take a hoover to your luggage - thats what i did.

--LOS--

Definitely the onus is on the landlord so the place needs to be sprayed. Also after that, steam cleaning your bed etc every so often keeps them at bay.