Need to vent...

grissom

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Found yet another bug. Rob is ticked at me becuase I scream and wake him up. And since I was the one who picked the apartment it's my fault. I let my delusions of granduer, my first apartment, cloud my judgement. I was blinded by the giant windows and overlooked the dirt as something that could be cleaned. And it was, and the place is beautiful, but aparently the dirt should have told me something. And so he is mad at me for picking the place, rushing into it without having someone look at it, and then crying about it. In fact, we got into a huge spat becuase I wanted to take Grissom and go home tonight, after finding the bug. Basically, his attitude is this is my fault and so I should deal. Which is not the attitude I need him to take right now, regardless of how right he is. He thinks I should sever the lease and just move out. I don't think I can legally do that, aside from which, where would I go? He is moving back into school next year, but I am supposed to commute. Grrr... I am so frustrated, so upset and can't stop crying. I'm so ticked at myself for putting myself into this situation and have no clue how to get out of it. I don't think I can express how much I hate bugs. I have nightmares, I can't sleep, and UGH. I seriously don't know what to do... about the bugs, about the apartment, about any of it.

Sorry, I just needed a shoulder to cry on.
 

bossinova

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My biggest ick is spiders. I hate them more than anything else. If there is one in our apartment, it will keep me awake for HOURS at night! So, I can definetly relate to this issue!
I know in Washington (don't know if it's the same everywhere, you could check with a lawyer), you legally can sever a lease, but you are penalized with a hefty fine and it follows you everywhere on your rent record. How long is you lease? Or, how MUCH longer is what I should ask?
Oh, and what kind of bug is it, if I may inquire? I know you probably have the biggest creeps in the world right now
, so if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I was just curious.
 
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grissom

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I moved in the beginning of May so I have till May again, its a one year lease. It was a waterbug, which I beleive is a type of roach. The thing I'm worried about is that if the landlord agrees to exterminate, there are 4 other apt.s in this house. They would all have to be exterminated. Or, I would just have mine exterminated every month. Is he legally responsible for exterminations? I'm in PA, so I don't know.
 

sandra

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Aww... I know how it is to have bugs in the apartment
.... Because for the last few days. Me and the roomie have had nothing but big black flies and spiders and other miscellaneous creepy crawlies in our apartment. We dont let the cats get near them though. I am sorry that You are having this problem and If You need a person to vent to or a shoulder to cry on just PM me
..... You have my full support in whatever you decide to do.
 

bossinova

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Is it an apartment, condo, townhouse, duplex?...What kind of housing is it?
I do believe that they are legally financially responsible for these types of upkeep. It is unacceptable to rent out a place to live that is infested with bugs. If you can hold out until monday, you could call an attorney, perhaps one that deals mostly with real estate management or contracts, and ask them for specifics. If not, and if your facility has an office, go there tomorrow and ask if they pay for extermination. If they reply no, ask to review the lease agreement and look for any fine print that may either give them a loophole out of it, or binds them to it.
Don't worry, you do have options!
 

spotz

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Keep the apt as clean as you can reasonably.

Contact the leasing office and DEMAND bug treatment, file a complaint each time something like this happens.

If the issue isn't addressed in a reasonable amount of time, to your satisfaction, then I would consult with a lawyer and present the complaints and the problems, and I would be more than willing to bet that you would be able to get out of the lease without penalty, and perhaps something more.

But give the Apt complex a chance first, and do what you can to combat the buggs also.

Contact maintnence and have them make sure that there aren't any extra openings for bugs to come in/out of. i.e. Caulking around windows, and tubs, and cabinets and plumbing. Etc Etc

Contact the leasing office/management company and demand pest control service.

Keep your apartment reasonably clean.

Give it a month or two and you should not be having these problems anymore.

I've been there and done it, and we have plenty of bugs in FL, (thankfully not those darn 17year Cicadas). A lot of complaints, in writing, and a little patience goes a long way.

Spotz
 
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grissom

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It's a house that was turned into 5 apartments. My lease is here, it says:

Tenant understands that the Landlord will make no repair, additions or changes to the property except as follow: furnace, water heater, roof, ceiling, floor, walls, windowns, steps and porches.

Tenets care of property: Tenet will keep the Property clean and safe. 2, Tell Landlord immediately of any repairs needed. Landlord does not have to repair any damage caused by Tenants willful, careless or unreasonable behaviour.


These are the only things on the lease that even remotely pertain.

How much does exterminating cost in general? Any ideas?
 

spotz

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Also...I would place a call into the Department of Health for your area. Even if bugs aren't covered (which they should be) I'm sure an investigation by them would turn up something, and the management company/landlord/complex owner will not be happy with this. I've seen owners fined for having hot water heaters set to the wrong temperature. Like I said they will find something wrong, and it goes on the owners record.

Give them a chance to work with you, but if they don't seem interested, then you have every right to motivate them.

Department of Health is always a fun place to start...


Spotz
 

mom of franz

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Originally Posted by Grissom

Found yet another bug. Rob is ticked at me becuase I scream and wake him up. And since I was the one who picked the apartment it's my fault. I let my delusions of granduer, my first apartment, cloud my judgement. I was blinded by the giant windows and overlooked the dirt as something that could be cleaned. And it was, and the place is beautiful, but aparently the dirt should have told me something. And so he is mad at me for picking the place, rushing into it without having someone look at it, and then crying about it. In fact, we got into a huge spat becuase I wanted to take Grissom and go home tonight, after finding the bug. Basically, his attitude is this is my fault and so I should deal. Which is not the attitude I need him to take right now, regardless of how right he is. He thinks I should sever the lease and just move out. I don't think I can legally do that, aside from which, where would I go? He is moving back into school next year, but I am supposed to commute. Grrr... I am so frustrated, so upset and can't stop crying. I'm so ticked at myself for putting myself into this situation and have no clue how to get out of it. I don't think I can express how much I hate bugs. I have nightmares, I can't sleep, and UGH. I seriously don't know what to do... about the bugs, about the apartment, about any of it.

Sorry, I just needed a shoulder to cry on.
I would think your landlord is legally responsible for providing you with a safe enviorment. If he gives you trouble, I would tell him you are asthmatic and the bug droppings flare up your asthma. This is true for roaches! He certainly would NOT want you to be responsible for you next asthma attack. If you are friendly with you dr..have him write a note stating this is a medical nescessity. Hopefully he will think big lawsuit and exterminate regularly. Also look in the phonebook for tenant/landlord complaints or rights groups. If you can't find them call your towns municipal office and ask for assistance.
 
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grissom

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Originally Posted by Spotz

Keep the apt as clean as you can reasonably.

Contact the leasing office and DEMAND bug treatment, file a complaint each time something like this happens.

If the issue isn't addressed in a reasonable amount of time, to your satisfaction, then I would consult with a lawyer and present the complaints and the problems, and I would be more than willing to bet that you would be able to get out of the lease without penalty, and perhaps something more.

But give the Apt complex a chance first, and do what you can to combat the buggs also.

Contact maintnence and have them make sure that there aren't any extra openings for bugs to come in/out of. i.e. Caulking around windows, and tubs, and cabinets and plumbing. Etc Etc


Spotz
The apartment is spotless due to my fear of bugs.
It isn't a complex, its a guy renting out apartments in an old house. (I live in Latrobe, its population is like 10000 MAX. We don't have apartment buildings here. Anyway, we tried to do alot of repairs, but it is old, and I think if the other tenants aren't as clean, then that's going to cause issues. I'm the only woman in the whole building and the guys here don't seem too concerned with cleanliness.

How much are attorneys? I'm a college kid with virtually no funds, so that's a problem. Or I would pay the exterminator myself.
 

lorie d.

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Grissom, it sounds like you have a serious phobia about bugs, but there really isn't any way you'll ever be able to completely avoid them. The only thing I can think of for you to do is send the landlord a written complaint asking him to do something about the bugs in your apartment and keep a copy for yourself. That way you will be able to provide proof that you contacted the landlord about this problem if the need arises. Also, if you do decide to seek legal advise in the future, a written record of your complaint(s) will be helpful.
 

bossinova

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I don't know how much it would cost to exterminate, but I can tell you that none of that really applies to the issue here. Is it possible for you to easily contact your landlord? Do you talk at all to your neighbors? Are they having bug troubles, too? If it was me, the next step I would take would be to chat with any neighbors, see if they are having any problems with creepy crawlies, and get a general concensous of what's really going on as a whole. After this, I would contact a lawyer (you could also speak with their paralegal, they do most the grunt work anyway
) and ask for clarification on the laws of your state/city/county regarding this. Then, I would contact the landlord, explain the situation, throw in any comments the other tennants have said, and ask for the extermination to take place and for it to be cost-free to all of the tennants of the facility. If he balks, mention what you found out from the legal personnel you spoke with. I'm sure things will be straightened out quickly when he realizes you've done your research!
 

spotz

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Originally Posted by Grissom

The apartment is spotless due to my fear of bugs.
It isn't a complex, its a guy renting out apartments in an old house. (I live in Latrobe, its population is like 10000 MAX. We don't have apartment buildings here. Anyway, we tried to do alot of repairs, but it is old, and I think if the other tenants aren't as clean, then that's going to cause issues. I'm the only woman in the whole building and the guys here don't seem too concerned with cleanliness.

How much are attorneys? I'm a college kid with virtually no funds, so that's a problem. Or I would pay the exterminator myself.
Attorney would be last resort, and you would be seeking compensation if it got to that point, so cost would be secondary.

Try everything else first, ok?

Do your best to keep your section clean, and make sure that the landlord is keeping your section adequately maintained. Proper sealing windows, doors, plumbing etc.

Always notify the landlord in writing, along with verbal communication, and keep a copy of the written notice. It's a safety measure, but one that may very well pay off.

The landlord should agree to cover the costs of pest control, so I wouldn't worry about that either. However you can invest in simple home use pest control products yourself, and they are usually reasonably successful.

Spotz
 

bossinova

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Originally Posted by Mom of Franz

I would think your landlord is legally responsible for providing you with a safe enviorment. If he gives you trouble, I would tell him you are asthmatic and the bug droppings flare up your asthma. This is true for roaches! He certainly would NOT want you to be responsible for you next asthma attack. If you are friendly with you dr..have him write a note stating this is a medical nescessity. Hopefully he will think big lawsuit and exterminate regularly. Also look in the phonebook for tenant/landlord complaints or rights groups. If you can't find them call your towns municipal office and ask for assistance.
Ooh, I like, I like!!! Veeerry good idea!
 
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grissom

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Originally Posted by Lorie D.

Grissom, it sounds like you have a serious phobia about bugs, but there really isn't any way you'll ever be able to completely avoid them.
Just roaches. Give me ants, give me spiders (small ones). But not roaches. When I was very young, we were very very poor and living in DC. The roaches in our housing were so bad that my mother made me sleep in a hammock to keep them from crawling on me in my sleep. I think that stuck with me. The other tenants don't seem to care. That's the other problem, none of them have complained or feel the need to. They are all single men who don't spend much time here. I am going to knock on their doors tomorrow and talk to them about it, regardless.
 

eneelk

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In this country, there are a lot of bugs. I can't even tell the other bugs. I open the windows when I wake up in the morning so me and my kitty can get a fresh air, but in the morning it's sunny the flies get in the house. One time, I saw Scuffy chasing the fly I thought he is just gonna kill it, but he ate it! I tried to get it out of his mouth, too late he already swallow it. The next day he ate another one. I always check if there is a fly and I always have my fly slaughter with me, I don'r want my kitty eating flies, I think it's bad, not sure.

Spiders, there are a lot of spiders here, big one, I just kill them. Scuffy killed those baby ones.

Ants, I have that here, big ones, my kitty don't touch them.

I don't know what kind of bug I have here during the night, big ones, brown, they fly, but they are not harmful, my kitty just play with them til it dies.

Roaches! I hate it! When I didn't have a kitty yet, I spray them with Raid and I see them dying slowly, I don't kill them right away, I want to torture them, I know I am bad, but I really hate roaches.

Mosquitoes, I always have a plug in baygon, when I wake up in the morning my blanket has a lot of dead mosquitoes on it.

Ants that have wings and they fly around the light during the night.

Kinda like a butterfly, a black one. I think it's moth, I don't know

SCORPION!!! Last year, I saw a scorpion in my living room, I killed it. Last week, I saw a dead baby scorpion in my bed room, I think my kitty killed it. The next night, I went to check my kitty in the living room, it's a big scorpion right on my feet, I was freaking out. After two days, I was sweeping the floor, and I pull up the rug on my door, there was another scorpion. Luckily, they did not even bite me.

I think you guys there in the U.S. are still lucky having a nice apartment
Here, you have to kill the bugs by yourself, yeah it's cheap but it's hard to find a safe and clean apartment down here. I don't even have a hot water in the kitchen, or laundry room, just the shower. Man, you gotta love this country!!
 

turtlecat

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leave it to you to make us all feel like our bug problems are so silly :p teasing.. wow.. I guess there's some perspective, yeah?

There are probably lots of safe waterbug repellants.. Also, we find Bayleaves keep the ants away. also lots of plants are bug repellant.. If waterbugs are common in your area, there's got to be something out there that people know of. Go to your nearest hardware store or walmart or home depot and ask if they have something to kill/repel waterbugs.
 

turtlecat

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waterbugs seem to be a variety or member of the roach family.

"Or try Concern Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer, made from finely ground fossils of prehistoric fresh water diatoms. That ought to scare those little bugs right out of the house! Actually you sprinkle DE around the house in cracks and crannies where the fleas and roaches hide. When properly used, DE has little toxicity to humans and pets, but kills insects by absorbing their outer waxy coating, causing dehydration and death. The label states "insects cannot become immune to its action" and that "insects come in contact or ingest this powder and die within 48 hours." I guess if they are dead they wouldn't build up that immunity now would they? As long as the dust doesn't get wet it will continue to kill."

is an option. A good option, but is not petsafe, is also boric acid, by the way.

Here's the link.
http://www.tidalcreek.coop/articles/...ts-fall03.html
 

eneelk

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Well, there's nothing I can about mosquitoes. I always have a baygon that I can plug in, and it works good. I lived right by the river, about 5 meters away. The summer is just over a month ago down here, it's sunny during the day and rainy in the afternoon til night.

Roaches, I kill them with raid. About ants, I can deal with them, I just mark the wall using a chalk so they won't cross.

Hey, I forgot something, I had rats too, a month ago, but they were dead, I bought a rat poison. When they come back, I am not gonna use a poison, cause I have my kitty, I can use coke, the rats likes coke but they don't know it will kill them
or I can use honey.
 
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grissom

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Thanks for putting things in perspective. I think I would be okay dealing if I didn't envision them crawling on me in my sleep everytime I close my eyes. I deforested my Bay tree already, so next is the diatomacious earth. Or a roach hotel where Grissom can't get it (under the cabinets).
 
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