Maintaining & repairing

I’m still on the fence concerning the whole Bedbug disaster. As a Landlord, I’m not interested in being legally responsible for any more than is necessary (could price me out of being a Landlord, so I’m simply being reasonable). But as a human being, I understand the plight of any Tenant who feels that they’re being unnecessarily menaced, by anything, while living in a property I own.

So I’m just going to periodically update the happenings surrounding Bedbugs, and try to answer any questions in the comments which a) I am qualified to, and b) do not require me to hire a lawyer for legal advice on how to sue someone (because we’re a litigious enough society as it is). That said:

Bugged Out, the good ol’ GO-TO site for anyone in the NYC area with bedbug issues, posted this up back in July. The post focuses on a sort of shell-shocked paranoia which (understandably) occurs after having had an infestation. They liken it to the delusions typically associated with schizophrenia or psychedelic drug use (I can’t believe I actually typed that out, so sterile sounding, like a high school principal or something).

I had a friend in high school who every time he tripped on acid, he swore his body was covered with worms. It was funny to watch, until he chose to pick up a razor to scrape them off. That obviously didn’t work out as well as we all had hoped it would, and lots of bandages were employed to remedy the situation.

Point being: there are obviously effects of an infestation which go far beyond the lingering worries associated with standard domicile infestations (roaches, ants, etc). I believe this is directly related to the actual human body being violated (fed upon). But, I’m no psychologist.

Bugged Out also dips into the whole Is DDT Really THAT Bad? question, which a perfectly fair thing to wonder. But that’s a mad-touchy issue, one with deep political ties, considering the reams of “research� out there which brought about its demise, and the number of political careers which were built by (and still somewhat stand upon) the environmental movements spawned from the death of DDT.

I’m just sayin’.

I’m still on the fence concerning the whole Bedbug disaster. As a Landlord, I’m not interested in being legally responsible for any more than is necessary (could price me out of being a Landlord, so I’m simply being reasonable). But as a human being, I understand the plight of any Tenant who feels that they’re being unnecessarily menaced, by anything, while living in a property I own.

So I’m just going to periodically update the happenings surrounding Bedbugs, and try to answer any questions in the comments which a) I am qualified to, and b) do not require me to hire a lawyer for legal advice on how to sue someone (because we’re a litigious enough society as it is). That said:

Wow. Even more bedbug commentary happening here. It’s crazy how a miniscule menace from the prior century can come back and cause such a ruckus here in our modest, and modern times.

This time, the issue is legal responsibility. To begin, I must note that we’re something of a Landlord-centric blog, but we really do want to be reasonable on every front. And on the subject of infestation, of any variety, being reasonable is key above all else.

Again, this is a brief discussion on the legal responsibility for bedbug remediation. Who shoulders it?

Specifically, a commenter from a previous post, David, who is apparently from Canada, wondered about who it is that is responsible for remediation if the bugs are discovered AFTER the Tenant has already spent some time in residence.

The assumption here is that it was not a horrific infestation to begin with, but that it has become one, and that it is impossible to pinpoint an obvious source of entry for the pests. Considering the feeding patterns of bedbugs, the little buggers could have been hiding out for the initial months, waiting to feed, and simply took their time in getting established. Or they were brought in from Singapore by the Tenant and immediately set up shop.

No one knows for sure, it's a fantastic mystery. A mystery which, as a Landlord, you need to be aware of your liability in.

So there's quite a bit of conjecture on this. As I posted before, the Bed Bug Blog even lists out the things a Tenant might do to arm themselves before throwing it in litigious gear. Obviously, that assumes there’s a precedent somewhere for winning such cases, provided you follow their directions.

Hm.

Overlawyered discusses a case involving a couple and a Motel in Arkansas. The interesting points come out in the comments. Sure, they’re comments, so they aren’t Primary Sources or anything. But they give good leads.

This feels like the least helpful post I've ever made... Not sure how I feel about that just yet.

I’m still on the fence concerning the whole Bedbug disaster. As a Landlord, I’m not interested in being legally responsible for any more than is necessary (could price me out of being a Landlord, so I’m simply being reasonable). But as a human being, I understand the plight of any Tenant who feels that they’re being unnecessarily menaced, by anything, while living in a property I own.

So I’m just going to periodically update the happenings surrounding Bedbugs, and try to answer any questions in the comments which a) I am qualified to, and b) do not require me to hire a lawyer for legal advice on how to sue someone (because we’re a litigious enough society as it is). That said:

Bedbugger has a two-part series focusing on a couple who are INTENTIONALLY getting bitten by bedbugs. You know, for the scientific fun and all that.

Part 1- The anatomy of different-stage bug bites, and how they may or may not have any notable skin-effect, depending on the host.

Part 2- The results get broken down, and sprinkled with some philosophy for good measure.

Dear lord, I still don’t fully understand the need for someone to do this, but bless them for clearing up some outstanding issues related to pinpointing evidence (or lack thereof in the case of some who don’t react to bites) of an infestation.

And at the time that this is being written, there is no Part 3, but I’m guessing that it’s been published by the time you read this, and it is probably HERE.

It appears that Bedbugs are quite the rage, still, in and amongst the ranks of both Landlords and Tenants. In many ways, and for many reasons, I wanted this to be a temporary scare. My wants are not being met by the bugs.

If you’re wondering whether or not your Tenants might have a problem and simply aren’t talking to you about it, try and understand that many Tenants feel that admitting to bedbugs is the same as admitting to living in neglectful filth (which is NOT necessarily the case). This causes an understandable amount of shyness in getting the problem remedied early enough to avoid a full-blown infestation. I recommend printing or emailing the link for this site: Bedbugger. They have an awesome FAQ and a “tales of woe" post to help anyone feeling alone with the bugs. The University of Kentucky Entomology also has a fantastic write up on the bugs (complete with helpful pictures of infestation evidence).

Not convinced that bedbugs are a serious issue for Landlords? Well…

Bugged Out reflects on the perils of 2006, and the bedbugs it brought. The Bedbug Blog brings you photos of their handiwork. And while his war was waged and potentially won earlier in 2006, Bed Bug War’s chronicles are still worth a read since he was at the forefront of a building war.

In my recent research, I came across a humorous take on these blood suckers: The Frankenstein Bug. Funny, good times in the face of the merciless Bed Bug. It’s a long one, so get a cup of coffee and take off your shoes. Some guy on a bus once told me “humor is a healthy path to healing" after laughing at the freezing rain that almost gave me hypothermia. There might be something to the words of that crazy old man, as much as I preferred to ignore him that morning.

Landlords misbehave in other countries too!

Hello Germany.

Ask The Relic is suffering through some obnoxious repair work being done to the kitchen of the place he/she (“Relic� doesn’t exactly hint at gender) is currently dwelling with roommates in Germany.

No Tenant will respond favorably to having a kitchen renovation crew hammering and sawing about before 9am. That’s just unnecessary. Well, it might be necessary in Germany, and I’ve heard horror stories about dealing with craftspeople in Manhattan, but in the places where I collect rent it isn’t that far a stretch to schedule in-house work on a currently inhabited unit for mid-day.

Large-scale renovations are another story altogether, but Relic appears to be describing your basic “handy man� type of work. Perhaps some aesthetic touches here and there. Nothing too involved.

At least I know what I’d be called in Germany now. Hausmeister is pretty sweet sounding if you ask me. “Landlord� is cool and all, but it has some slightly negative connotations. Perhaps a nod toward a more cruel and medieval relationship between a Landlord and their Tenants. Like I have them tilling fields all day or something.

Now Hausmeister on the other hand, makes it sound like I am an actual professional of some sort! A MASTER if you will!

Yes, I realize that the normal translation of Hausemeister is the comparably less sexy “janitor�, but whatever. I’m talking PERCEPTION here. Namely, my own.

Besides, being a master of the broad and necessary janitorial crafts industry can’t be all bad, even if it is a bit bad sounding.

[my sincere apologies to any potentially offended practicers of the janitorial arts out there, much respect due]