Courtesy of the CBC’s links from its fine story on bed bugs (which remains the best television clip on bed bugs to date, hands down, in my humble opinion), a rundown on who pays for tenants’ bed bug treatment according to Province. It is really complicated. I am not even going to try and paraphrase it.

However, the easy thing to say is that the law is pretty much on the tenant’s side in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Nevertheless, folks in those areas should read the information on your location; it is definitely not always cut and dried, and you have responsibilities as well as rights. Seek legal advice or advice from a tenant’s organization in your area if you need help understanding the laws the CBC page links to.

In most other areas, the responsibility for paying for bed bug treatment varies a great deal Province by Province and according to the situation.

Yes, you guessed it: they want to play the blame game.

In some places it depends on whether the tenant can prove they did not bring bed bugs into the apartment, in others it depends on whether the landlord can prove tenants did bring them in. In still others, arbitration is provided where tenants and landlords cannot come to an agreement.

• New York City: Who’s responsible for paying for bed bug treatment? Complicated, in some cases.
• Halifax: where the bed bug “blame game” is the law
• added to the “Tenants and Landlords FAQ”: Washington, D.C. and Florida
• Brown student wants to provide free bed bug treatment to those who can’t pay

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