John Raimonda, Director of Operations of Liberty Pest Control, wrote today in response to the NH Bedbugs post and I have his permission to share his email with you:
We’ve been hearing about other states but what is the status for New York as far as landlord or Mgmt Company responsibility re: accountability—cost/advising other tenants etc.
Many of our customers are asking these questions and are self treating or using inferior services due to cost and the process of extensive preparation.John
This frustration is understandable, and familiar.
In my response to John I explained the contours of the situation (nothing is happening; the city is vetting the would be appointees to the bed bug advisory board but has not made any announcements and appears, to this interested and biased observer, to have no intention of acting with the appropriate seriousness and alacrity that the situation demands). And I of course told him that if his customers need to complain to HPD or bring their landlords to court they should find basic how-to instructions and advice from the various non-profits and tenant advocacy groups whose sites are listed in our resources page. There is nothing, however, to compel landlords to adopt sound bed bug management strategies. Nothing to compel them to inspect adjoining apartments and, as far as my knowledge and understanding extends, nothing to compel them to advise other tenants of infestations. In practice, landlords can get away with hiring spray and pray merchants, if that. To be sure, as we’ve noted before, bed bugs can be an unaffordable burden to small landlords.
There is no such thing as easy solutions and I don’t really believe in villains. Well, actually maybe there are people and organizations that are up to no good, exhibit A: the New York Association of Realty Managers extraordinary “Afternoon of Bed-Bug Awareness Training on Long Island” on June 1.
A bed bug seminar (PDF) to end all bed bug seminars, indeed.
I don’t think I told you about this:
1:30 to 4:00 pm Seminar The Crossroads of Warrant-of-Habitability &
Pest Infestation SPECIFICALLY, BEDBUGS How can Building
Management prove they got there? Dealing with the conundrum
of who should rightfully end up paying for their elimination? Ways to eliminate Bedbugs. Other Pest Infestation Issues.
That almost defies comment. Underlined text in the original. And yet, it is what it is. This is what is happening in our city. While people struggle with bed bug infestations, property managers schedule an afternoon of golf and advice from lawyers about a certain bed bug conundrum.
These pages may be of related interest:
