Bed Bugs In Your Rental Property

It can be frustrating to manage pests in your rental property. Bed bugs are one of the most challenging pest infestations you have to address. You need to get rid of them quickly. This article will show you how to treat a bed bug infestation and prevent problems.

Infestations of bed bugs are on the rise in the United States. Bed bugs can be clever travellers. You may be surprised at how quickly they spread. After infesting an area, bed bugs can travel on the clothing and luggage of tenants. It can be hard to identify how bed bugs got into an apartment building.

How do you know if you have bed bugs?

Do not panic if your tenant claims they have bed bugs. There could be other pests in your home that may display similar symptoms. If the tenants have pets, it is possible that they are dealing with serious flea problems.

How to spot a bed bug infestation?

Pillowcases and sheets stained by blood
Bed bug excrement can cause dark or rusty spots to sheets.
Bed bug skins on your mattress.

If the tenant insists that the problem is bed bugs, you should call an exterminator.

All bedding and mattresses in the rental property should be checked by a residential pest control specialist. The exterminator should inspect all beds, mattresses, closets, shelves, and drawers. It is important to catch the problem early because severe bed bug infestations can prove difficult to eradicate.

How can you rid your property of bed bugs?

These are the things you can expect from a pest control specialist in Myrtle Beach when they come to your home to get rid of bed bugs.

Move/Disassemble furniture. This is necessary to expose areas where bed bugs might be living.

High heat/steam treatment. Special equipment is used by exterminators to raise the temperature of the area to 118F and maintain that temperature for 70 minutes. This kills both eggs and adults.

Use professional-strength insecticide. Bed bugs won’t be treated with any of the common over-the-counter insecticides.

Seal furniture. You can seal furniture you or your tenant can’t afford to dispose of.

Who is at fault for bed bugs?

A professional exterminator may be able to give you information about how the bedbugs arrived. If a bed bug infestation is discovered in the tenant’s luggage after they have returned from a trip you could certainly hold them responsible.

However, it is generally difficult to prove fault in an apartment building. This could be because a neighbor could have brought the bed bugs in from another apartment. The bed bugs could then have travelled through the floorboards or cracks in walls to your rental.

If the rental is for a single-family house, it is easier to find out who brought in the bedbugs. Even then, the bed bugs could have been brought in by a maintenance worker, and not the tenant.

How can you prevent bed bugs?

You can’t just exterminate bed bugs. Your tenant is responsible for preventing another infestation. Make sure that you are both clear about how to take care of the property, and prevent bed bugs from returning.

Declutter. Bed bugs love a cluttered home or apartment. Bed bugs love to hide in clutter, making it more difficult to treat them.

Encase mattresses. Protecting mattress and box springs with plastic or bedbug-resistant material can help prevent an infestation from becoming serious.

Avoid secondhand furniture. In New York, it is common to see furniture painted with bed bugs to discourage thrifters from buying infested items. It is a good idea to avoid secondhand furniture, particularly pieces that you find at the curb without knowing their exact condition.

It is important to practice good hygiene. A clean environment will help prevent any pest infestations. Carpeted units require that tenants keep the rental spotless.

What is the best time to let a tenant go because of bed bugs?

Your tenants have the right to live in a comfortable, habitable home. This does not include bed bugs. A bed bug infestation can cause a tenant to be eligible for a break in their lease. This is especially true if the tenants can prove that they were present before they moved in. If they notify you about the problem, and you do not act fast enough or don’t respond quickly enough, you can end the lease.

If your tenant has a bed bug problem and is living in a rental property, you must give them notice. This varies from one state to another.

It is a crime to rent a property that has been infested by bed bugs. You might be sued and ordered to pay damages if you can prove that your tenant knew.

It is possible to avoid having to deal with bed bugs and other pests. These pests are a nightmare for landlords. You and your tenant should be able to spot bed bugs from a distance. If an exterminator visits, you will know what to expect, and how to proceed to avoid another infestation.