The Stigma Of Bed Bugs In Apartment Buildings
Here at Northeastern Exterminating we want the public to understand the stigma that having a bed bug infestation carries. If you have not had a bed bug scare as of yet, we hope to teach you a bit about why you shouldn’t be so private about your problem –Especially for those of you who are living in an apartment building, the last thing you would want to do is not tell anyone out of pure embarrassment. Read on in todays blog post so we can educate you a bit about why that you shouldn’t keep quiet, when you have a bed bug infestation in your apartment.
The reasons tenants in an apartment building may not want to tell the landlord or other tenants are:
- Afraid of being judged.
- Afraid of losing lease.
- Afraid of unknown expensive costs.
- Afraid of being blamed for introducing the problem into the building.
- Afraid of losing friends.
- Afraid of the unknown.
The reasons tenants in an apartment building should tell other tenants and the landlord:
- Have the problem solved quicker.
- Find the actual source of the problem.
- Remove the problem from the building once and for all.
Sometimes when the landlord gets a call from a tenant, the landlords do not understand proper protocol. They will call their exterminator over to treat the problem apartments. The landlords will then not tell other tenants for the following reasons:
- They don’t want to be bothered
- They don’t want to jeopardize rent payments being withheld
- Afraid of bad press
- Afraid of unknown
When a tenant first discovers a bed bug they should immediately contact building management. Heres why:
- The landlord is financially responsible, so as a tenant you don’t need to pay.
- The bug problem could be coming from an adjoining apartment. Building management will be able to inspect all apartments to see where the infestation is located.
- Save time, money and frustration for all parties involved. Every day you wait, will be more of a headache.
When the landlord is contacted by the tenants, the landlords first action should be to inform all tenants. A meeting with all the tenants, pest control company and landlord is ideal. This meeting will address all rumors, problems, and stigmas in one visit. When these types of problems are caught early and handled properly it can save a lot of money and frustration. Improperly treating one apartment could spread the bed bugs into multiple units.
If you live in an apartment building and think you may have a bed bug infestation let your landlord know. Also make sure your landlord informs all tenants of this problem. Be certain they check all apartments, and treat where necessary. If you have any concerns or need advice please don’t hesitate to call us. We only treat NYC but are willing to answer calls from all over the country. Call (718)336-0634 or email us at [email protected]
