Category: the Rant Board
So I have been after my landlord forever about ridding my apartment of bugs such as ants, roaches, and the like. Also all our water outlets leak eg the kitchen and bathroom sinks and the bathtub. I've tried to contact him about it once a week and I'm not the only one complaining about the bugs. All my neighbors have tried to get him to do something about it but he is getting lazy or something. There are just getting to be too many problems with the apartment itself that my boyfriend and I with our son are looking for places to move to. Besides, we need a bigger place anyway since we live in a 1 bedroom apartment and my son is 4 months old so he'll be mobile in no time. We're going to see if we can try and get out of our lease early. I've told the landlord that this is not a sanitary environment for our son and I also informed him about socialworkers coming through and saying something to me. But still he refuses to do his job for anyone for whatever reason. This has been irritating me to no end. It just seems like the place is falling apart no matter how we try our best to maintain it. But some problems we can't afford to fix plus isn't it his job or the maintenance people?
You can call renters mediation.
But, if you can, find a different place.
That is our plan to find a ifferent place but places are so expensive for rent here.
I'm not sure if the state-to-state law differs here, but I shouldn't think so.
But I think this is the sort of thing you can really and truly raise hell about, legally, if you want to.
If your apartment's infested with insects like ants or roaches, that's not good at all. It does also mean that wherever you go, you might very well bring the problem with you. This is something you're going to have to look into if you move. Something else that might be even more dangerous yet is leaks. If your pipes are leaking or sweating a lot, and either your floor, walls or ceiling have water damage, it can eventually release mildew and mould and things into the air. You and your partner might be largely okay, but your little one might suffer. If you notice he coughs a lot, or has really runny eyes, or is wheezing, that's a bad sign.
Social workers would be absolutely right to keep a very sharp eye on this, so I hope you didn't take it personally. Kudos for at least trying to blow the whistle.
Let me tell you something though.
If you are in a building under the management of someone else, and if that building has problems which may threaten your health or the health of your dependent children, the landlord-tenant act, or some version thereof, should guarantee your rights. The landlord can't just...get away with it, not if you dig in your heels and chase. Now, he can attempt to give you hell, he can drag his feet, and short of putting a gun to his head I suppose you can't twist his arm without a lawyer, and lawyers aren't cheap. But don't let him strong-arm you to tell you it's not his job, because it damn well is.
That, or you can, as you said before, just get the hell out of there. Just remember that when you go, you'll need to be really aware of your soft linens when you pack. Bugs can and will get in there and stay. They might also have laid eggs in certain places, to the extent that you may not -see any critters leave with you but they might hatch on the way, or hatch once you're in a new place. You may want to look into an exterminator. You should be able to make your landlord provide you with an exterminator at his expense instead of yours, but if you absolutely can't do that, you still may want to get one anyway, even if you have to eat the cost. Not nice, but one hell of a lot better than finding a new home and realizing you've brought pests to live with you.
If you are talking roaches, just wash your stuff if you move.
For furniture, use a bomb in the truck and let it sit over night.
This will do the trick.
If you must stay, pest of the responsibility of the owner as stated, and calling renters help, or whatever it is called will get it done.
You can also help yourself, buy buying a package of bombs.
These are really easy to use, but you need to leave for about 4 hours after you set them off.
They are centless.
After you bomb, use some roach disc, or motels around your place.
These will keep them down.
Boric acid is good to and is a powder you spread in a line in the corners and edges of things like cabinets .
It's not harmful if you eat it, but your little one won't ever get close to it anyway. He's not likely to be licking the insides of cabinets .
Dump your vacuum after you bomb and clean it out if it is the bagless type.
This includes the filters and such.
Do these few things, and you'll live better where you are.
Even if others don't do this, your place will be kept generally clear.
Bomb maybe once every few months, but the disc and adid will keep you from having to do this.
Wash often. Don't allow dirty clothes to pile up for weeks.
I don't know what type of house keeper you are, so can't make suggestions on what else you might do.
Dirty dishes need to be washed daily too, and trash taken out, and the cans washed, or use bags daily.
Don't let the trash pile up, or old food stay in the trash for more then a few hours.
The cleaner you are, the better you'll live.
A word about the bombs.
While they are scentless, they do have an order, so after you come back, open your windows for fresh air.
Scentless means like a mild bug spray scent.
Maybe it is some people don’t smell it.
Next, these are poison, so when you press the trigger point it away from you.
You have everyone outside, and one person sets them off in different parts of the house.
One in the bed room, one the kitchen, one the living room.
The trigger locks, so you can set it down away from you standing up.
Avert your face while doing so.
If you do breathe it, you’ll notice for a bit.
I know you aren’t stupid, but if you’ve never used them, heed my words.
I sometimes forget to add things, not because I think people are stupid, but I forget about the safety issues.
The disc are easy. You just peel off the tape and set them down. Toss them after about two weeks for the first time, and maybe monthly after that and put up fresh.
The bombs and disc will get all your friends. Smile.
Last, I noticed you saying case workers had said something about the condition of your place.
If this is so, and these things are not your fault, why not ask them for help?
Thanks for the suggestions. Yep we did bomb earlier this week but only my place. But I guess my landlord finally said he's going to do something tomorrow for my place again and the rest of the apartments. My boyfriend would also like to bomb again in a few months again just to make sure they all are gone. Now we just need the leaking water issue to get fixed which I hope the landlord will take a look at tomorrow also since this is like the 3rd time I've asked him.
Keep on his back. Don't worry about being an annoyance. You need better living arrangements.
Wayne is right though. don't encourage bugs to come back. Chances are very good that bugs are in the building, not just in your own home or your own part of the home (I don't know whether you're in a true apartment building or are living in part of a converted house). While Wayne is probably being extra-careful regarding how long you leave trash out and how often you do your dishes, there's no reason to let it slide. Roaches, in particular, just need dark places and a little food to eat; they can eat stuff like glue off of jar labels too, so I don't just mean dropped crumbs and the like. If they're in your kitchen, I strongly recommend washing every piece of cookware you own in hot water, using lots of soap. Clean out your cupboards too, while your dishes and cookware aren't going to be in the way. They will get into everywhere and anywhere. I am hoping they haven't infested your entire apartment, as such an infestation holds a greater risk of you bringing a few friends when and if you move.
Best of luck. Sounds like you kinda need it.
Has ants too.
The bombs were a good thing. Should be clear, but others haven't followed suit, so you still have travelers.
We're doing the best we can with the bug situation but we live in a quadplex and there are several of them near each other. Also there is an empty 2nd floor apartment just on the other side of us in which nobody has lived for at least 2 years. It seems like most of the bugs are coming from there since there's no one living there to maintain it. So that is definitely out of my control. How do we deal with that?
bring it up with your landlord and see if maintenance people can go in there to have a look around.
I've been down that road, and you are in the right. Those that talked of mold are right too. I left an apartment, and my friend moved in. The mold was so bad, it triggered breathing problems that killed her, eventually. I'm not trying to scare you. But, I got a legal transfer out. I would've moved too, but a call came from another place in Pierce county, and I was glad, to kiss Seattle Bye-Bye!
I've never been the same, since I was exposed to that mold, either. It was a whole lot, so that's why it got me so bad.
I don't mess with holes or leaks at all. After that violent exposure, I just don't even deal with it.
Most low-income or low-cost housing don't really care. They figure they have too much to deal with, and don't make it a priority. Then, they wonder why so many lawyers sue them.
Speak to someone who specializes in Environmental Health. They actually have allergists and inhaled partical specialists that can help. It's not always the easiest thing to get covered, but, fight. The words, "There's a child under 1 involved." They will get you most any kind of help. I'm not saying to use that like a blindness card, but, in this case, it will help your baby, and you.
Blessings,
Sarah
Same thing. You do your defense inside your walls.
What's that supposed to mean?
You bomb. You keep things as clean as you can.
You put out the bug disc.
That is your defence inside your walls.
also ant traps. If roaches and other insects get an ixterminator. If your land lord won't pay for it as he should then bite the bullet and pay for it yourself. Your family is in danger.
Actually roaches are worse looking then they are a health problem.
People eat them. Smile.
Ants, if red, cause bites, so these have to go.
But, I agree, I might pay for a service if I couldn't do it myself.
people eat roaches?
Yes.
People eat lots of things I'd not, but there you have it.
Chocolate covered, ants, roaches, spiders, like that.
Some bugs are protein.
Eeewww that is nasty. And we can't afford to pay for an exterminator and all that. My bf only has one part time job where he only works 15 hours a week. I am having trouble finding work myself so all I get is one measley little SSI check.
Again, I'd ask the case workers that you say are talking about it for assistants.
Case workers, or family, or friends, or anything like that. Hell, if you have to, try and get someone to loan you the money for an exterminator and then pay them back over time? This is a big deal. I know it sucks when times are tight, but I figure if you cobble your resources you ought to be able to get enough to pay for an exterminator to come deal with your home. This is, of course, assuming that your landlord absolutely refuses to be helpful, or that the help he renders is useless. If he can or will be effective about this, then it's money you don't have to put out, and that's a good.
I can't see why a land lord would allow his property to become overrun with vermin. I just can't make sense of this.
Well he finally did something about it this week, but it was poor effort on his part because all he did was put down bug paste or whatever it's called and it's not as effective as the bug bombs. So my bf is looking to bom again this weekend. People are so damn lazy when it comes to doing their job.