Landlord will clean tenants' mess

Heather Clayton has been patrolling the sidewalk at the corner of Cedar and Afton avenues for the past two days, waving a can of spray paint and warning passersby to keep off the neighbour's lawn.

She's been on a mission after putting up big signs around the lawn in east Hamilton near Cumberland and Gage streets that warn: BED BUGS! KEEP OFF!

The reason for her vigilance is a collection of old furniture, cardboard boxes and other junk left on the front of the rental property across the street all infested with bed bugs. She's worried those bugs are going to spread from people rummaging through the trash, or pets dragging it onto the road toward her house across the street.

Landlord Yacub Lahdo said Thursday night he was on his way to remove the garbage. He has owned the building for eight years and said he wants a clean and bug-free property as much as his tenants do.

Clayton's been through it all before her daughter and grandchildren had to get rid of most of their belongings and were forced to move in with her in September after an infestation broke out at their apartment. There are now eight family members spanning four generations living in the house.

I was my daughter's safety net but if they get in my house, then what do I do? she said.

Nicole Constantinides, 19, lives in an upper unit of the building, two attached houses divided into six apartments. She said she and her nine-month-old son Maddox are stuck there.

They haven't seen any bugs, but the landlord had the unit sprayed just in case. Other tenants also young mothers have gone to stay with family during the spraying, but that wasn't an option for Constantinides.

I stayed at my mom's last night but she has a full house. The other tenant, she's staying with her parents but lucky her, she said. I don't have anywhere else to go.

All of her furniture is on the balcony and the pest control company has to return in two weeks for a second round.

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Landlord will clean tenants' mess