According to reports from 17KGET.com on 9/28/12, a Bakersfield woman claims that she was evicted after she went public with the fact that her apartment is infested with bed bugs. Desperate to find a solution, the mother appeared on California’s television show “Telemundo” last week. After explaining her plight, and showing the bed bugs that had completely taken over her apartment, including her bed and the children’s beds, she received a surprise knock at her door. Hoping for an exterminator, instead she was served an eviction notice and claims that she was told “if you don’t like it, we can meet in court.” The tenant claims that the eviction notice was served as a means of retaliation because she went public with the bed bug issues that she is facing in her apartment.
The Kern County Health Department in California states that the rental contact should say what the responsibilities of the landlord and the tenants are in regards to a bed bug infestation. If those guidelines are not followed, then a civil suit can be filed by the tenant to reimburse them for the damages incurred.
In complete contrast, NBC Southern California reported on September 28, 2012 that a Los Angeles County renter has been under attack from bed bugs as well. In Los Angeles County, bed bugs are considered to be “vermin” that must be eradicated by the landlord immediately, once they have been reported by the tenant. Failure to do so will put the property manager/owner in serious trouble with County officials after an inspection has been completed by Los Angeles County Health Department.
Bed bugs are difficult to eliminate. It takes the complete cooperation from the landlords, tenants and pest control professionals to fully eradicate these pests. For expert Monmouth County, NJ pest control services, contact Allison Pest Control.