HousingLink Blog

A landlord recently contacted HousingLink with this dilemma:

"I have tenants that still have 6 months left on their lease. Since they moved in, bed bugs have infested the unit 3 times! This unit never had bed bugs before.

Each time we used a professional pest control company to use heat treatment. The company also did a follow up inspection a month after to confirm it worked.

I would like to avoid the expense and complication of eviction (and another bed bug problem), but still have the tenants move out before the lease is up. Here is what I am considering:

A "cash for keys" arrangement where the tenancy is mutually terminated, and I give them their security deposit back plus $600 (their rent amount) to encourage them to find another place to live."

Your turn! What would you do if you were this landlord? Here were some of your answers:

"Add an addendum to the lease that limits the amount you pay for pest control."
~ J

"It is probably not three separate problems, but failure to eradicate the bugs entirely. They are very difficult to get rid of, even with professional help. Sometimes using a month-to-month lease is the best way to go."
~ Raymond

"I recently had bed bugs in one of my rentals so this hit home to me!  Here's how I handled it:

 In my lease it states that if a tenant brings bed bugs into the residence that they are responsible for removing them. I also have a clause in my lease that used furniture cannot be brought into the unit (I do make exceptions for furniture from relatives).