Lodgers and infestations...

SuzieSue

Fire_Fox wrote: »

And if you kick lodger one out before treatment is complete you are sending bedbugs to her new abode. Agree you should not take a new lodger until you have been clean for a while. Can bedbugs live in sofas? _pale_

Yes, they can live anywhere. Everyone needs to be aware of the signs of an infestation so that they can deal with it before it gets out of hand.

This is quite useful but there is lots of other info on the net:

http://www.badbedbugs.com/hotel-bedbugs/

BitterAndTwisted

In that case, you appear to have missed the threads where landlords have been advised to make a deduction from the outgoing tenants' deposits for leaving a flea-infestation behind. Whether they have had the landlord's permission to bring a pet into the property or not.

In this particular instance there are no tenants involved but lodgers. I'd be charging the Indian lodger for every single penny in treating for bedbugs. They became apparent in his/her room first, so it's obvious to me that no-one else in the household has brought them in.

Fire_Fox

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

The usual forum advice on infestations, usually of flea variety, is that this is entirely the landlords problem and he must pay.
The tenant is blameless and their dog can't help bringing in fleas.

Occasionally some hapless landlord had queried the justice in this matter but is firmly instructed that he has to accept this risk as part of doing business.

I'm rather surprised to see the opposite view being presented here now.
What's the difference?

Which forum is that the standard advice on? B&T and I don't seem to be reading the same threads as you or perhaps not focussing on the same posts? Were these threads where the landlord had not dealt with the inventory or deposit properly? Once you wrongfoot yourself there it becomes difficult to claim anything from a tenant. Some have advised landlords to just get the house treated for fleas, because they need to move new tenants in and cannot hand over an infested property.

If lodger one moves out and refused to pay the OP may have to suck up the cost and get it done. Lodger two is a useful witness to when the infestation started and which room it originated from. Of course the OP would need a forwarding address to be able to open a small claims action, assuming the deposit was insufficient.

tbs624

OP - the source may well have been Lodger 1 but have you recently brought any second hand furniture into your home ( or has anyone else)?

G_M

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

The usual forum advice on infestations, usually of flea variety, is that this is entirely the landlords problem and he must pay.
The tenant is blameless and their dog can't help bringing in fleas.

????????????

I don't see fleas/bed bugs as any different to any other form of damage.

If it is caused by the tenant, then the tenant is liable. If not, the tenant is not liable.

In most cases, of course, the difficulty is proof. And with registered deposits and arbitration schemes the onus of proof is on the LL.

In this case
a) the bugs appeared in lodger 1's bedroom
b) lodger 1 had just returned from India (and any change in location from the norm would be an obvious suspect - but I suggest India in particular)
c) the bugs moved to the 2nd bedroom when lodger 1 moved to the 2nd bedroom

These factors combined certainly meet the 'balance of probobility' test, if not also the 'beyond all reasonable doubt' test.

And, of course, this is a lodger, not a tenant.

Fire_Fox

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

I must not have received the full picture!

Sorry, guys, I was only idling pondering (on a matter on which I was evidently wrong!)
I didn't mean to be confrontational! I haven't even made it out of bed this morning yet ....

Me neither, it's Sunday! :rotfl:

G_M

Eton_Rifle wrote: »

...... I haven't even made it out of bed this morning yet ....

sleep tight. Take care the b...........!!

SuzieSue

G_M wrote: »

sleep tight. Take care the b...........!!

Ha ha, but I think that saying has caused a lot of problems because a lot of people don't realise how serious a bedbug infestation is. I am always trying to convince my family to take it seriously and to be aware of the signs but they don't seem to listen.

missile

jc808 wrote: »

Hmmm... sorely tempted to kick lodger 1 out and DIY... thanks GM, I suspected I was being too reasonable/ soft

That is what I would have done as soon as I was aware of the bugs ..... I would have evicted her out asap and destroyed the mattress. I can't believe you let her move bedrooms. I am very surprised lodger No2 agreed to sleep in a bed where she knew there had been bedbugs.

missile

I would dispose of the matresses and all bedding this lodger has used.