Finally, (as if this wasn’t enough), no matter who causes the presence of bed bugs, the landlord is responsible for the cost of investigating and remediating the infestation for the first year of the lease. Be sure to leave easy access to closets. They can survive over a year without feeding. Additionally, a sample bed bug lease addendum which you should provide to each tenant with the lease agreement, can be downloaded here. 4. ¡ landlordsLandlords are required to provide educational materials on bed bugs to existing and new tenants. A buyer of a residential property also could attempt to sue for nondisclosure , according to the online legal website Avvo of Seattle, Washington. New York law allows the landlord up to 30 days to correct the problem, as these critters create a health hazard and the state considers this a class B violation. The new law clarifies responsibilities, A new state law designed to battle bed bugs requires California landlords to provide tenants with written information about these pests and how to report suspected infestations to the landlord, the Chronicle reports. After failing to properly address or even attempt to address the issue with your landlord, legal action may be … This is defined as a document that describes  prevention and control methods used to prevent bed bug infestation and that is consistent with any designated bed bug best management practices. During the bed bug life cycle, a female can lay 200-400 eggs depending on food supply and temperature. Nearly all the laws prevent a landlord from renting or advertising a unit with a known current infestation. NYC bed bug law also makes taking care of an infestation the responsibility of the property owner. [PL 2009, c. 566, §8 (NEW).] Bed bugs can survive for months without feeding. Bed bug cases continue to spread all over the U.S., including Alaska, resulting in a huge inconvenience for many hotel guests, residents, and customers in Anchorage. Upon request from a tenant or prospective tenant, a landlord shall disclose the last date that the dwelling unit the landlord seeks to rent or an adjacent unit or units were inspected for a bedbug infestation and found to be free of a bedbug infestation. The landlord must continue to control infestations except in single family dwellings, or when the infestation was caused by the tenant. After that, the tenant shall “share [does that mean equally split?] Landlords are now required to give tenants a brochure on bed bugs when a lease is signed. Some states have specific laws on the books about landlords’—and tenants’—duties regarding bed bug infestations. In a nutshell, twenty three states have passed or enacted bed bug specific legislation or rule making, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Legislation on bed bugs is pending by state, with California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina considering additional legislation. California Bed Bug Law in effect as of July 1, 2017. As of July 1, 2017 all new rental contracts will need to be up to date with the new bed bug code of 1954.600-1954.605. For any lease a tenant already signed that begins after January 1, landlords should immediately give them a copy of this bed bug lease addendum along with the informational notice. Each state has its own disclosure requirements and federal law requires some disclosures but to date they do not include bed bugs (yet-but they will). This compilation of bed bug laws in the 50 states only includes those states that specifically include “bed bug” in their statutory or regulatory scheme. The disclosure requirement took effect for new tenants July 1 and will apply to existing tenants Jan. 1. Customer information may only be retained for the period of time required to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. A. For example, state laws might require tenants to take steps such as: report a possible infestation within a certain time—usually 24-48 hours—after discovering it City Seeks To Outlaw Illegal Airbnb Sublets, After PA’s COVID Rent Relief Strikes Out, Now Comes Rent Relief 2.0. Many of the bed bug laws or rules are "legacy" statutes or regulations, ranging from 30 to 90 plus years old. WARNING:  If a landlord does not comply with the above, the tenant’s rent will be abated. Inn keepers may also have a heightened duty depending on state law. The law also: Requires every Chicago-licensed business to provide pest control services when a bed bug problem occurs on the premises. However, these skilled travelers often hide in a variety of unusual places that one would not think to look. Furnish to the tenant a written disclosure of the history of bed bug infestation and remediation history for the dwelling unit for the previous 120 days. Copyright ©2021 National Pest Management Association, Copyright ©2021 Arizona, Illinois, Maine, and New York bed bug laws (particularly vital to NYC) were passed or enacted since bed bug populations rebounded 10 plus years ago. After discovering a bed bug infestation, your landlord must be notified immediately both verbally and in writing. 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