Basically, i moved into this apt back at the end of March and when i was still moving my things in that first day, i saw two roaches in the kitchen. Now this surprised me because this apt complex seemed to be clean and my apt has a ton of upgrades. I killed them, recleaned my apr from top to bottom and sprayed my apt in every crack/crevice with raid. i didn't see any for a few days and then i started seeing them them in the kitchen mostly, All i had was spray so that's what i used. Then a few months went by and i saw em in the bathroom-a huge one at that. now during all this time, maintenance supposedly put my name on the list to come and exterminate but it was at least 3 weeks before they showed up. After a while, me and my bf went and bought boric acid in the powder form and laid in ALL OVER the place: under cabinets, in closets, along baseboards,under and around the refrigerator and stove...after about a month or so they started dwindling down and i didn't see any. But the strangest thing started happening, dead junebugs were popping up all over the place, which was odd because i never saw them in the house in the first place! i took another trip to the office and these no good swindlers tried to tell me that even if they come and spray/bomb the place i should still expect to see roaches from time to time because of Texas weather and the building being old. i REFUSE to accept that because i lived in two buildings that were older than this one, but you couldn't tell cause they were well kept and i have never had a bug problem in any of my houses EVER. So once the junebugs died off...the problem seemed to be cleared up. But now the damn roaches are coming back. I don't know what to do! If this problem persists and the apt doesn't resolve the problem, what are my options as a tenant? They've basically told me to just accept the bugs and since no-one else is complaining, there's not much they can do. I told them i didn't give a damn about anyone else, because I'M having a problem and for all we know, the other tenants could be used to living with bugs therefore it doesn't bother them. Im scared to walk into any room in the dark, im scared to open my shower, any drawers and closets or put on clothes because im paranoid about these damn ROACHES. its disgusting and my apt is **** and span clean so there's no reason i should have them unless this building is old and infested or my neighbors have them. Im just now finding out that this complex is old and poorly maintained and they draw people in with the "upgrades"...but if i had known i would have to sacrifice a vermin free home for these pathetic upgrades, i would never have moved here! would this be a potential reason to break my lease and move? can i ask for a rent discount or something until they resolve the problem? Anyone knowledgeable about these matters, your help is appreciated!!!
Update:well i believe they need to reimburse me SOME kind of way...this has been going on for 6 freakin months. I dont believe i should have to pay full rent like those that are not having my problem and are comfortable in their homes. right now all i wanna do is MOVE!! The management has tons of sister properties so maybe i can transfer to a sister property and finish out my lease? Is that possible?
Update 3:You people are gross! Bugs are a fact of life, but no one wants to live in a roach infested apartment. To the so called landlord for 15 years, i can only imagine what kind of landlord you are...a slumlord more like. I dont mind an ant here or there or even a spider or a any other bug, but damn roaches? hell no. And i dont care about it being texas and ****, i grew up here, i know what its like and my mom never had roaches in her home and niether have i until now. ITS THIS APT COMPLEX. its old and poorly maintained. Who wants to be scared to open a drawer because a waterbug might be in there. Maybe some of you live in poor areas or trailer parks or what have you, but i do not accept living with roaches. I dont care about South Africa, it has nothing to do with my apt here in dallas. If you ask me, if they properly exterminate this place, i bet they'll find at least 5 roach nests in the walls. It utterly effin disgusting. Just cause you're used to roaches, doesnt mean i am.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Generally speaking the rules and regulations governing housing issues are implemented and policed by your local housing authority. Details and minutiae will be interpreted by them.
Your case however, finds it's basis in a universal principle. Your landlord is obligated to provide you with "peaceable enjoyment" of the leased premises. The cockroach infestation and management's lack of prompt and concrete action could well be considered a very significant impediment to your peaceable enjoyment and therefore grounds for cancellation of the lease on the basis of the landlord's non-performance with regards to the lease.
Write your landlord a registered letter giving him 10 business days to rectify the problem. Include in that letter that you will seek to have your lease canceled and an award of punitive damages should this issue not be resolved within the given timeframe. Keep a copy of this letter as proof of having notified the landlord of the problem.You may need it to proceed against your landlord with the Rental Board.
Lastly, on a more practical note, refrain from calling yourself "paranoid" when discussing this issue. That reference shifts the blame to your shoulders when in fact the cockroaches don't pay rent and shouldn't be there.Good luck with your serious bug PRONLEM. lol.
I truly sympathize with you, but bugs are a fact of life. I lived in Durban, South Africa and they have the biggest cockroaches that you have ever seen. I used to freak out. I called an exterminator and told him I had a serious bug problem. he sprayed all along the base board and then stood back and said "what is your problem". He said when the wall turned black with bugs then I had a serious problem. The fact is they are very difficult to stop. They fly in through any open window and lay their eggs. They come up the drain holes in the bathroom and kitchen. Always put the plugs in the sinks and baths and keep the toilet lid closed. Do not leave any food out. Even dried food like rice. The young ones get into it. You can spray, lay traps, but you will never get rid of them entirely. Always thoroughly clean under and the back of your fridge and stove.
Cockroaches are one of the oldest living creatures on the planet and will be here long after the human race has gone. Sorry I wish I could help you more. When I first saw them I used to scream and yell. By the time I left Durban I could step on those things with my bare feet. Of course I always had to wash my feet after.
It's Texas and they are everywhere. I've seen them simply crawling across the ground looking for a cooler space.You are never going to be 100 % bug free and I don't care how much spraying is done,it's simply not possible.Management is working to resolve the problem but my guess is you have some less than clean neighbors and the roaches are coming from them. You have no grounds for lease termination and you have no right to a rent reduction because bugs are a fact of life.You may not see them but they are there. Did you know that you can bring home roach eggs on your grocery store bags? You may believe you need to be reinbursed but you don't. Texas heat brings out every bug around searching for cooler living arrangments. You need to grow up and realize that unless you are living inside a bubble chamber you are never going to be bug free. I certainly would not keep dealing with your outrageous complaints in my office.
The landlord sounds like they are spraying or trying to work with you to eradicate the pests. More than likely, your neighbors have the bugs and maybe they aren't so **** and span clean so the roaches are walking over to your place. This is the downside of living in an apartment. You get whatever the neighbors do.
Read your lease to see what the penalty is for early termination. You will not be able to get out of it free. And, no, they do not owe you a discount on rent, but, if you want to ask, I am sure they would be happy to tell you themselves.
It's time for you to collect proof to back up your complaint. Take pictures of the roaches. Keep a record of every person you've spoke to about this issue as well as the time,date of your calls and the results of your conversations. Collect all the dead and live bugs you find in your apartment. Go to all of the apartments surrounding you and talk with your neighbors and ask if they are seeing insects too,if so ask them if they have talked to management and make notes of they're reply. Now call your city hall and make a complaint, they have to follow up every complaint.Find out when they last did a Health inspection of your building. Also call your County Health Department of the problem.
You can get free legal advice on your legal rights thru your State Legal Aid on breaking your lease agreement and your entitlements...don't discredit yourself by stopping payment for your rent.
You have no valid basis for lease termination. Roaches exist everywhere, and all we humans can do is try to exterminate them when found. There are no guarantees that you will never see another roach. No, you won't get a rent reduction. The management is working to eradicate the creatures. No, you won't get 'reimbursed' in any way. All you can do, and SHOULD do, is to continue to keep roach traps in proper areas. And do invest in the types of traps which specify that they will also kill roach eggs.
The landlord must properly maintain your apartment in order for the lease agreement to be valid. As the facts are presented, It sounds to me as if the landlord is failing and as such the landlord may have violated the lease agreement. The best thing to do in this situation is to find someone who is knowledgeable with Texas real estate law, or a real estate/landlord-tenant guide from the municipality of which you reside. An alternative method would be to pester your landlord about the problem to the extent that they either fix the problem or get sick of hearing about the problem and offer to terminate your lease. In any event, good luck!
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Sorry to hear about the bugs. Sounds awful!
What RC said covers most of it but if they are not spraying, I would also contact the Health Department and see if they will do anything.
ed. to add- Keep notes of phone calls or conversations. Write Everything Down. It proves a record of your attempts to rectify the situation.
For non-habitability problems you can go to court and set up an escrow account. You pay the rent to the court and the LL will not get paid until the problem is fixed. This gets their attention. (The court also may abate part of the rent, but do not know if this is the case in TX.)
You set up the escrow account so there is no grounds for eviction for non-payment.
(also if there is a no pets policy- complain that the neighbors pets are coming in jk;)
Sorry. You're screwed. Good luck!