Bed bugs in rental property

Electra_101

alchemist.1 wrote: »

You have absolutely no way of proving that the bedbugs were brought in by your tenants. They could be from a neighbouring property for all you know.

Get the heat treatment done asap otherwise its going to get worse.

I realise I cant prove it was the tenants that introduced them. But the next door house has had the same family living there for years. And they have never introduced bed bugs to my house before. So on balance of probabilities.....

Innys1

alchemist.1 wrote: »

You have absolutely no way of proving that the bedbugs were brought in by your tenants. They could be from a neighbouring property for all you know.

Get the heat treatment done asap otherwise its going to get worse.

I don't think you have been reading all the posts in this thread to date.

Even if the OP did as you said and had their property heated treated, as you say, what difference would that make if the bugs are coming in from a neighboring property? Ironically, you have pointed out that limitation yourself........

I reckon the best bet to to agree early termination of the tenancy and for the OP to then investigate all options when the tenants are not there.

All the while they are living in the property, the OP cannot be certain they aren't reintroducing fresh bed bugs after the previous lot have been killed through treatment, by whatever means.

alchemist.1

Electra_101 wrote: »

I realise I cant prove it was the tenants that introduced them. But the next door house has had the same family living there for years. And they have never introduced bed bugs to my house before. So on balance of probabilities.....

They might have had the same family living there for year but doesn't mean they haven't inadvertently brought them back from a holiday.

alchemist.1

Innys1 wrote: »

I don't think you have been reading all the posts in this thread to date.

Even if the OP did as you said and had their property heated treated, as you say, what difference would that make if the bugs are coming in from a neighboring property? Ironically, you have pointed out that limitation yourself........

I reckon the best bet to to agree early termination of the tenancy and for the OP to then investigate all options when the tenants are not there.

All the while they are living in the property, the OP cannot be certain they aren't reintroducing fresh bed bugs after the previous lot have been killed through treatment, by whatever means.

What you suggest is the best option. Treatment will be required either way.

The point i was trying to make (very badly), that trying to blame the tenants and ignoring the issue will make matters worse.

[Deleted User]

I am a tenant in a property and I have had bed bugs here. No second hand furniture no new furniture, no hotel stays. I'd lived in this property 18 months with furniture I've had for years. So probably didn't come from here. I didn't even start arguing with my LL who wouldn't do repairs anyway, I needed them gone so I paid £250 for a company who did the whole house with a guarantee for 12 months.My son had a divan bed which was infested (lots of nooks and crannies for BB's to hide in) .., we wrapped it, took it to the dump (didn't leave it outside to infect others - and clothes were in the machine as soon as we got back and we were well scrubbed) and got a metal framed one and new mattress.

18 months later they were back. This time I paid £50 for sprays and spent the next week steaming and spraying everything. I washed every washable item we had again at 60 degrees and tumbled everything - you do need more than 60 degree heat to kill them which was supplied by my defective (melted stuff) tumble dryer. I repeated every three weeks for a while. No sign whatsoever of a return. You do have to use sprays that will stay around for a while, get all the crevices (plug sockets, wall sockets, under beds and sofas (remove lining), under skirting boards, put some special powder down etc etc. Steaming is good too. I have a very good steamer (not a cheap hand one) as I like things to be clean. I also inspect mattresses (seams etc) for any sign of infestation every time the beds are changed. I still steam the mattresses, sofa and carpets. And still spray occasionally (spray lasts for three months).

It took a lot of work, I was told I wouldn't be able to do it.., but they haven't returned. It cost me £50 and many hours of work. Plus the cost of a steamer if you don't have a good one. but I'd have paid that out with one visit from an exterminator with no guarantee of effectiveness. I was going to be effective.

As to where they came from.., its another rental next door. LL signed a deal with SS's and took in immigrants (they were supposedly children with full beards and able to drive cars). They were removed due to damage to the property. Next lot of tenants moved out after two months very suddenly. Then all beds were outside (I was still spraying my house at this point and made especial care to leave a thick layer of stuff in the front of the house).

So I know where i think they came from.

It may come from your tenants, but it may also come from neighbours in the street. Can you guarantee they haven't stayed at a hotel (one way of getting bedbugs, your research should have shown this), or haven't bought some second hand furniture?

Bed bug infestation treatment companies are paid each time they visit. Their adverts warn it will take many visits. I suspect that if each room was treated properly (with sprays that are effective for some time after their visit) and steaming they wouldn't need to 'warn' customers like this. That tells me commercial companies aren't as effective as you think. Hence why I used steam just as much as sprays. Being resistant to sprays wasn't going to save the bed bugs here lol. Heat treatments won't work IF the infestation is coming from next door. It may not be, but its a lot of money to waste. But you are right, it will take a lot of work from the tenants as well to deal with this. I think I got rid of mine by steaming AND spraying, and being aware of the three week cycle. If the boogers were resistant to sprays, the steaming would get 'em lol. A good steamer will cost £300 (mine is from Dupray and can be filled continuously so you can do a whole house - Polti are a more well known brand but erm not as reliable and you can't continuously refill them).

Even if you evict the tenants, and just have to treat a bare house.., its still going to mean repeated treatments (three week cycle to get any eggs/bugs you didn't get the first time). You won't be the only person in this country fighting bed bugs.., they are increasingly a problem here.

It is hard work dealing with bed bugs, but it is possible. I definitely have done it. And this was in spite of asthma, a back that screams when I move and arthritis. Totally down to determination. The bugs weren't going to be staying in my house. End of. If I can get rid of them, ANYONE can. Its your property, whoever caused the problem, where ever it came from, its in your interests to make sure they are gone.

PS if you have any peeling wallpaper, bed bugs like hiding behind that too. Might be time to decorate.

You could possibly go round to the tenants, telling them commercial sprays aren't working, so you and they are going to spend a couple of days working on the house getting rid of them. And make sure they stick everything washable into the washing machine. Loan them a tumble dryer if you need to. Use a steamer, then spray, repeat, you can see where they are heavily infested but do all areas bed bugs like, move furniture away from walls and leave it like that for a while. I know it sounds gross but I sprayed and steamed until I could see no signs of movement from the bugs. And then I did it again. Even with having to dash out of the room cause of the asthma, I am sure I killed them all. Well for three weeks anyway. And then I sprayed and steamed again.., but not as heavily.

teddysmum

Is it certain that they are bed bugs ? ie have specimens been found ?


Other possibilities are head lice, fleas and pubic lice and treating the house would not eradicate these, as they are carried on the human body.

Electra_101

teddysmum wrote: »

Is it certain that they are bed bugs ? ie have specimens been found ?


Other possibilities are head lice, fleas and pubic lice and treating the house would not eradicate these, as they are carried on the human body.

They are definitely bed bugs. The company that did the chemical treatment identified them.

sgun

It won't be your tenants fault that you have bed bugs in the flat, they can come in from anywhere that your tenants have been and @deannatrois "immigrants" are no more to blame than travellers or business people who stay in top hotels around the world. My husband is Irish so he is an "immigrant" but is no less clean than anyone else (well a little bit but this is off topic so I shall resist from any judgements against your views)


Our tenants are Polish and are lovely and clean despite the fact that they are "immigrants" (sorry, I did say I would stay off that topic). They were mortified when they found bed bugs but told us straight away. It cost £120 to get the flat professionally treated twice and they have had no further problems. We split the cost as although they had introduced them, it wasn't their fault and they did tell us straight away. TBH I would have paid for it all if they hadn't wanted to contribute as it is just one of those things that happen these days especially in cities where there is a lot of tourism.


One thing I would advise is that if you do go into the property change your clothes the minute you leave, even if this involves stripping off in the garden and changing into clothes that have been kept in a bin bag that any stray bug could not have got into. Extreme but will help prevent them spreading any further as I believe they reproduce asexually.

[Deleted User]

I understand why you have replied in the way you have.., but honestly, these people caused a lot of problems (with other things as well), so was very glad to have them leave. The fact that they were claiming to be children whilst driving nice cars (multiple) kindof added to the annoyance. If that sounds racist, I can't help it.

[Deleted User]

I think you'll find 90% of the country were immigrants at one point. But these particular ones did cause a number of problems. The fact that they were claiming to be children (whilst driving very nice cars) did cause some annoyance. So I will call them immigrants (they were) and I will describe our experience as neighbours. I will in no way support any claim that all bed bug infestations occur in this way, obviously.