Complicated BB situation, advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Complicated BB situation, advice would be greatly appreciated!

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MacgyverSimpson

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Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 23 2012 17:04:34
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Hi everyone, my roommates and I have been dealing with a bedbug situation for quite a long time that's recently took a turn for the worse and we're feeling overwhelmed. If anyone could offer any thoughts / advice we'd really appreciate it.

The backstory, briefly: I've been living in my current apartment in NYC for almost a year and a half. We first found bedbugs a month or two after I moved in, and the landlord had a PCO come about five times. The problem seemed to go away, but then in June / July it got to be so bad that we couldn't even sleep - my walls are still covered with the stains from crushing bugs. The PCO came another ten or some times, we requested that the landlord do other treatment (and seal the walls), he refused every time and said it was our fault, etc. After filing complaints with the city, he finally admitted that he knew the apartment above us had bedbugs for months forced the tenant to let the exterminator in. He did deduct some of our costs from the rent, and in speaking with neighbors we learned this has been an ongoing issue in the building. The problem seemed "better" in early December.

A few weeks ago I noticed a few bites, but didn't think anything of it because my roommates who reacted more strongly to the bedbug bites weren't getting them. Of course, this Sunday I caught a very young bedbug in my bed.

So now the problem: we have two months left on our lease, but one of my roommates is moving out tomorrow and had a subletter set to come in in a week. And we just found out our other subletter is leaving at the end of the month (he's been out of town and doesn't know we have an infestation still) and he had found someone to replace him. I can't in good conscience let either of these people move into the apartment with what is going on, but at the same time I can't afford to pay for it. To complicate things our landlord is out of the country for a few weeks and his employees are not being helpful at all. We have already filed complaints with 311 and are going door to door asking all our neighbors to do the same.

It seems like the only option I have is to try to get out of the lease and leave by the end of the month. Aside from all the legal questions, I'm mostly weary of moving while I have bedbugs. I've read on here it's best to wait at least two months last seeing them before leaving a place and if I were to go it would like be to crash at a friends temporarily, so I couldn't take an risk of bringing bugs with me.

I feel like I have no options at this point - If I stay I can't afford it, and if I leave it's too risky.

So what would you guys do? Are there options I'm not seeing? How risky is moving if I launder all my clothes between apartments, clean everything I own with alcohol and seal it in plastic tubs, and even leave my furniture behind?

Thanks again!
Nobugsonme

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Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 23 2012 17:20:02
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Heat is an effective treatment, but spraying with alcohol is only a contact killer and I would not advise treating your stuff this way. It's kind of hit or miss. And it might make your stuff flammable.

You can treat a pod or moving truck with Vikane or heat a trailer worth of stuff en route to your new digs-- this is not cheap, but it is often cheaper than replacing even a small amount of furniture. Treating your stuff with Vikane en route should render it bed bug free.

The city has recently changed how it deals with multiple infestations in a building, and is now requiring more of landlords with recorded violations in terms of inspecting and treating surrounding units, so hopefully your neighbors will pursue the problem with HPD.
MacgyverSimpson

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Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 23 2012 18:16:35
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Thanks! What is the process of treating with Vikane? I'd have to hire an exterminator to do it or is it something I can do myself?
mrssmith2b

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Posted 8 months ago
Wed Sep 26 2012 3:25:19
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I know this is kinda off this topic, but ive noticed that people on this forum tend to say there is some kind of city ordanance for BB in NYC, I live in Georgetown Texas and not sure how they concider BB to be worthy of this. How would I look into what might be an ordance for my landlord to have to send an exterminator. I could barly get him to spray for the roaches the previous tentants left. had to deal with that on my own. And I live in a quadplex, so there are three other tenants attached to my building.