New York City pest control experts can attest that multi-unit buildings face a variety of hurdles when it comes to bed bug eradication procedures.  Bed bugs are elusive creatures that hide in cracks and crevices, floors, baseboards, picture frames, electrical items, and all parts of the bed.  Additionally, bed bugs can also be lurking within the walls of any building.  They utilize electrical wires and pipes as a bed bug super highway to travel from place to place, striking their victims during the wee hours of the morning.

In many parts of the United States, there is great controversy as to who is responsible for bed bug eradication services once an infestation is present within a rental unit.  A Fort Myers, Florida family claims that they moved into an apartment three months ago and are now battling a severe bed bug infestation.  According to reports, their complaints to the apartment manager have fallen on deaf ears as no pest control services have been offered.  The family claims that they have had to throw out their beds and their couch due to the bed bug infestation.

Unlike New York City bed bug regulations, many states do not have clear cut laws on the books to protect all renters when it comes to bed bug infestations.  The bed bug laws for rental properties in Florida are a bit wishy washy.  Fort Myers Code Enforcement officials say that eradication costs depend on what is written in the lease.  In Florida, the general rule is that occupants renting a single family home can expect to pay for bed bug services while occupants in a multi-unit building can expect landlords to cover the cost of killing the buggers…unless it is stated in the lease differently.  Not having clear cut guidelines as to who is responsible for bed bug eradication services often will cause a delay in treatment procedures which allows bed bugs to multiply at alarming rates.

All states should develop definitive bed bug regulations for landlords and tenants to follow so that bed bug infestations are eradicated quickly and are not able to spread to multiple units.