bedbug responsibilities

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JCHAN82656

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hello, I'm a landlord of a 6-unit apartment building in Philadelphia. The tanent moved in one of the 2-bedroom apartment in July, then 2 weeks later, he told me there are bedbugs. (Ex-tanents or other tenants in the building never reported any bedbug problem before). I offered them bedbug killer which I purchased from Home Depot. He told me that it dind't work after using it. So I scheduled a professional treatment to kill bedbugs and costs are on me, but his roommate didn't have cooperate with the treatment preparation‏ and she told me she would let me know for another schedule, but they never call me to set up a time since that. (I kept the emails between me and the exterminating company, which prove that i did hire the exterminator.)

In this September, the tanent stopped paying rent( he was 20 days late on the Sept rent) and saying that he want to terminate the lease and want me to pay back the security deposit and the damages for mattress, dry-cleaning costs, and medical expenses of bedbug bites(toal damages he's asking for is one month rent back), and saying that he will go to court if i don't agree.

Also, another unit above was infected and reported that bedbuds were found two weeks ago.

What should I do? Should I go to court and will I win???

Thank you so much!!!!

Simon
 
I'd suggest working to evict this tenant, then suing him for back rent. You have documentation that you certainly made an attempt to address this bed bug situation.

Do you provide furniture with your rentals. If not, it is quite likely this tenant brought in the bed bugs himself.

Gail
 
Bedbugs are BAD!!!

I'll go a bit further than Gail, but I think she is right on track.

First, if your leases are written correctly your tenant can not "refuse to cooperate with extermination" because that refusal affects the other tenants. You have the right as a landlord to come in and care for the place.

Secondly, Gail is probably right about the bedbugs coming in with this tenant. They are VERY difficult to get rid of so start now, get a professional with a guarantee and continue treatment until they are GONE. Explain to your tenants that they must cooperate or they will have them next.

Thirdly, you aren't liable for this tenant's problems. They can only withhold rent if you refuse to make the place habitable. Even then they have to apply the rent to repairs and maintenance you refuse to do. You have not refused to do anything. You certainly aren't responsible for his mattress, medical, or dry cleaning. It sounds like the tenant is scamming you for the costs of finding another place. Ironically he will take bedbugs with him most likely.

I agree with Gail. Give notice of eviction and then make a deal with him to get him out peacefully. I would make a deal to keep the security deposit but waive the back rent if he leaves peacefully by a certain date and leaves the place clean.
 
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