FLEAS in my new rental house

G_M

Start with mindthegap's approach. Landlord/agent is unlikely to want Environmental Health involved. As the tenancy has not started yet they may well agree to cancel the contract (it's not a tenacy surrender as there is, as yet, no tenancy).

Depends on your diplomacy skills. You need to be polite, diplomatic, non-confrontational, yet dangle the threat of EH......
And then be all reasonable and 'agree' to take no action and look for somewhere else if they'll agree to end the contract....

If that fails, THEN start offering to pay one month's rent to allow time to find a replacement tenant.

lollipopsarah

I've got the same problem, we moved in 4 months ago, and about 2 weeks ago we started getting attacked, so i used the powder stuff over night, and it seems a lot better, that is exept for hubby who now seems to be getting the attention - grrrrr.
As above get in contact ASAP but do not offer money in advance, keep that as a last resort if you can't get away with cancelling your agreement.
Also it's the LL's responsibility to supply a habitable dwelling so he/she should pay for it.
Good luck.
xx

princeofpounds

Lollipop Sarah, seriously use acclaim (or the competitor which is the same stuff) if you have ongoing problems. Far far better than any powder I've seen.

may_fair

Read this:
http://blog.painsmith.co.uk/2010/09/19/bed-bugs-and-landlords-liability/