Bed bug nightmare: Landlord refuses to help

FrustratedRenter

Hi guys I hope you can help,

I signed a tenancy on the 10th October, taking over from someone who signed on the 9th September, for a room in a flat in London.

It turns out the room has a bed bug problem which I discovered a few days after moving in. I promptly notified the landlord but the landlord is refusing that it is his responsibility to deal with it.

The previous tenant "Josh" had been renting at the place for a year and renewed the contract that I then took over. It was during his occupancy that the bed bugs started. The landlord is claiming that because the tenancy was changed from the previous tenant "Josh" to me that I inherited his responsibility to deal with the issue.

Is this true? How do I respond?

It's really affecting my ability to enjoy the room as I wake up in the middle of the night, refuse to invite friends to visit and I'm even wary of hugging people.

Thank you in advance for any help!

[Deleted User]

That's rubbish but no way would I be sleeping in joshs bed, bugs or not. Move in to furnished property first change the locks, second get a new mattress.

need_an_answer

A quick google bought up this
https://inthenews.co.uk/bed-bug-infestations-landlord-tenant-responsibility/

A little ambiguous but I believe the LL should have dealt with the issue before you moved in.
The fact that you have moved in it also suggests that you have taken on the problem but then goes on to suggest you could inform the council if you feel the situation is not being handled well.

ka7e

Bed bugs can infest all carpets, soft furnishings and clothes. I'm surprised they haven't migrated to adjacent rooms! You can get a "smoke" bomb from Amazon to do a whole room and contents, but you cannot use the room while it's taking effect and the smell is unpleasant. You can wash bedding and clothes at 60 degrees or tumble dry them on high to kill them off and hoover everywhere, but the chemical route is the only really effective method. The local council will likely use the same type of bomb and then bill your landlord, it depends whether you're willing to wait for them to act.

AdrianC

_shel wrote: »

That's rubbish but no way would I be sleeping in joshs bed, bugs or not.

I've never met him.

FrustratedRenter

ka7e wrote: »

Bed bugs can infest all carpets, soft furnishings and clothes. I'm surprised they haven't migrated to adjacent rooms! You can get a "smoke" bomb from Amazon to do a whole room and contents, but you cannot use the room while it's taking effect and the smell is unpleasant. You can wash bedding and clothes at 60 degrees or tumble dry them on high to kill them off and hoover everywhere, but the chemical route is the only really effective method. The local council will likely use the same type of bomb and then bill your landlord, it depends whether you're willing to wait for them to act.

The previous tenant tried DIY methods like this so I'm keen to get the landlord to get actual pest control people as quite clearly the DIY methods aren't working.
Thank you though for your input. Whilst I'm waiting for them to act I've been hoovering and washing my bedding religiously.

HampshireH

Believe the most effective solution is to heat them up.

Pest control for bed bugs is expensive though

G_M

Very hard to tell/prove when /how the bedbugs arrived. Anyone can pick them up - frequently these days on public transport.

If the LL knew for sure there was a problem before letting to you, he should have eradicated.

The previous tenant "Josh" had been renting at the place for a year and renewed the contract that I then took over.

So you and Josh and the landlord all signed a Deed of Assignment, with a witness? Or what?

I've had them in the past. Dealt with them with DIY products, but you need belt and braces, so smoke bomb + insecticide spray + dust. eg

https://www.pestcontrolsupermarket.com/bed-bugs-2-c.asp

FreeBear

ka7e wrote: »

You can get a "smoke" bomb from Amazon to do a whole room and contents

Had a flea infestation earlier in the year. Tried a couple of different bombs from ebay and found them to be pretty useless. Ended up using some Johnsons "bombs" in conjunction with some industrial strength Permethrin based insecticide. Daily spraying for a couple of weeks finally nailed the little !!!!!!s.

[Deleted User]

Bombs rarely work, not powerful enough.

I had bed bugs once, I did some research, realised they had a three week cycle, bought a kit like https://www.pestcontrolsupermarket.com/bed-bugs-2-c.asp Applied this liberally three times, every two weeks to make sure I got the darned things.
Steamed everything weekly also.
Encased the mattress after applying chemicals (good job I did as a year later I saw a couple of additional bed bug bodies under the casing).
I had a divan bed in there, it was replaced with a metal framed bed to give the critters less cosy living conditions, the bed was in a really bad state. But you don't absolutely have to throw things out as it only takes one live bug left to re-infect the nice new mattress.

Important to bag up and wash everything at least twice, apply chemicals on all storage, plug sockets, light sockets etc. Tumble drying probably most effective as gets clothes a lot hotter than 60degrees.

Things that can't be washed you can place in a freezer if you have one. Even books have to be treated.

I think the steaming really helped, obviously way hotter than 60 degrees.

It was a lot of work, but they never came back.

I didn't like the idea of repeat visits from contractors with no guarantee of effectiveness. I knew I'd half kill myself to get rid of them if necessary lol.

I didn't even bother telling the LL, knew he'd blame me (no new furniture, no hotel stays, no idea where bugs came from and he wasn't a nice person). Just got on with it myself rather than argue with him for months over whether he was responsible for getting rid of them.