Category Archives: Bed Bugs Connecticut

The Connecticut residential lease agreement (rental agreement) is a written document outlining the terms and conditions between a landlord and tenant to rent real property for a fee. Once endorsed by the landlord and the tenant, the agreement becomes legally binding.

The below disclosures are required for some or all residential lease agreements in Connecticut.

Applicable to all rental units in Connecticut.

Creates a line of communication for important notices and demands between tenant and landlord. Landlords or any authorized individuals who act on behalf of the property should provide contact information (including their address) within or alongside the lease. This information should be provided to the tenant on or before the commencement of the tenancy. [1]

Applicable to all rental units located in a common interest community in Connecticut.

If a rental property is located in a common interest community (where the tenant pays fees for shared amenities), this must be disclosed in the rental agreement. [2]

The below notice is an example of sufficient disclosure:

NOTICE OF COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITY. This property is located in a common interest community, which means that the Tenant may be subjected to fees associated with the support of common interests such as amenities.

Download: Connecticut Notice of Common Interest Community Disclosure Form (PDF)

Applicable to all rental units that require a fire sprinkler system in Connecticut.

All rental dwellings that require a fire sprinkler system pursuant to the State Fire Safety Code or the Sate Fire Prevention Code in Connecticut must include a notice informing the tenant if the property has a functioning operative fire sprinkler system.

The notice must be written in 12-point, boldface and uniform font. If there is a system in place, the lease must include the maintenance/inspection history. [3]

Download: Connecticut Operative Fire Sprinkler Disclosure Form (PDF)

Applicable to all units in Connecticut.

Landlords may not offer a unit for rent that has a bedbug infestation or a potential infestation. If there is an adjacent or contiguous property that has bed bugs, the landlord must provide a notice of the infestation. Upon a tenants request, the landlord must disclose the last date of inspection for bed bugs. [4]

An example of a bed bug addendum or section would be:

BED BUGS. At the time of presenting this agreement, Landlord certifies:

[ ] No known current infestation or history of bed bugs in this property.[ ] There is no known current infestation, but there is a history of infestation in this property.[ ] No known current infestation, but there is a nearby infestation or history of infestations which may place the property at risk.

See attached addendum for more information.Addendum

Download: Connecticut Bed Bug Disclosure Form (PDF)

Applicable to any rental units built prior to 1978.

It is a federal law in the United States that any home built prior to 1978 must disclose the risks posed by lead-based paints. Paint, paint chips or dust may cause lead-based paint exposure. This law requires landlords in Connecticut to:

Download: Connecticut Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Form (PDF)

The below lease agreement disclosures and addendums are not required by Connecticut law. These disclosures can be helpful to include to help reduce future conflicts with tenants or reduce legal liability for landlords.

Disclosures outline the important health, safety and property information and vary by state. If a landlord does not provide the tenant with the federally or state mandated disclosures, they could face legal repercussions or monetary penalties.

In Connecticut, a landlord who fails to comply with the bed bug disclosure can face monetary penalties. A landlord can be found to be liable to the tenant for attorneys fees and may be liable to pay $250 or the tenants actual damages, whichever is greater. (House Bill No. 5335, Public Act 16-51)

If a landlord fails to disclose the lead-based paint hazard disclosure, they can face fines up to $18,364 per violation. (24 CFR 30.65)

Its best to check with your local laws on which disclosures are required to provide to your tenant.

(a) It is the duty of the landlord or an agent authorized by him, or any successor landlord or such successors agent to notify the tenant in writing, on or before the commencement of the tenancy, or in the case of a successor at the time of such succession, of the name and address of (1) the person authorized to manage the premises and (2) the person who is authorized to receive all notices, demands and service of process. Such name and address shall be kept current

Whenever a dwelling unit in a common interest community is rented from a declarant, successor declarant or person acting on the declarants or successor declarants behalf, such declarant, successor declarant or person shall, prior to entering into a rental agreement, provide the tenant with a written notice that the dwelling unit is located in a common interest community

(b) When renting any dwelling unit, the landlord of such dwelling unit shall include notice in the rental agreement as to the existence or nonexistence of an operative fire sprinkler system in such dwelling unit and shall be printed in not less than twelve-point boldface type of uniform font.

(c) If there is an operative fire sprinkler system in the dwelling unit, the rental agreement shall provide further notice as to the last date of maintenance and inspection and shall be printed in not less than twelve-point boldface type of uniform font

(c) No landlord shall offer for rent a dwelling unit that the landlord knows or reasonably suspects is infested with bed bugs. Before renting a dwelling unit, a landlord shall disclose to a prospective tenant whether the unit the landlord is offering for rent or any contiguous unit of which the landlord is an owner, lessor or sublessor is currently infested with bed bugs. Upon request from a tenant or prospective tenant, a landlord shall disclose the last date on which the dwelling unit being rented or offered for rent was inspected for, and found to be free of, a bed bug infestation

If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay rent within nine days thereafter or, in the case of a one-week tenancy, within four days thereafter, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement in accordance with the provisions of sections 47a-23 to 47a-23b, inclusive.

(from CT Gen Stat 47a-4 (2019))(8) agrees to pay a late charge prior to the expiration of the grace period set forth in section 47a-15a or to pay rent in a reduced amount if such rent is paid prior to the expiration of such grace period

Read the original post:
Connecticut Lease Agreement (Free) | 2022 Official | PDF & Word

Printable PDF Click on images to see larger view

Bed bugs are making a comeback in the United States. They are occurring in any type of residence or lodging from the most luxurious hotel to more modest homes. They are not associated with unsanitary conditions. Bed bugs can be introduced to any household or establishment from visitors or by hitching a ride in your luggage.

Aristotle described bed bugs two thousand years ago. Bed bugs have been recorded in American history as far back as the 17th century. The early colonists inadvertently brought them from Europe to the new world. Up until World War II, bed bugs were a common problem in the United States. Strong new insecticides, such as DDT, were developed during the 1940s and 1950s which effectively reduced the incidences of bed bug infestations. Domestic and international travel and the removal of many organo-phosphate pesticides have contributed to the population explosion that has occurred over the past decade.

What is a Bed Bug? The bed bug is an ectoparasite of warm-blooded animals including humans, animals, bats, and birds.The wingless, mature bed bug is brown, flattened and between 1/4 and 3/8-inch long. When engorged with food (blood) the body becomes elongated and swollen, and the color changes from brown to dull red. The change in size, shape and color is so great that bugs in different degrees of enlargement may appear to be of different species. Nymphs are smaller in size but of similar color and shape. All stages feed on humans; nymphs must have a blood meal before they can molt to the next stage of development.

University of Florida

Life Cycle A female bed bug lays about two eggs per day and may lay approximately 200 tiny white eggs. The eggs are oblong and sticky, hatching in as little as four or up to 24 days. Upon hatching nymphs, will immediately move to feed.There are five immature nymph stages, each one requiring a blood meal to continue. Adults require a blood meal for reproduction. Total developmental time from egg to adult ranges from six weeks to four months or more depending on conditions. They can live up to a year to a year and a half. The stages of the bed bug life cycle are illustrated below. (Diagram courtesy of North Carolina State University.)

Bed bugs are very hardy insects, able to withstand several months without food (blood) or adverse conditions.These insects are nocturnal, moving to their hosts at night to feed quickly for three to fifteen minutes and seeking hidden shelter upon completion.In bedrooms, bed bugs will hide in the joints and crevices of bed frames and box springs, in the seams and folds of mattresses and even in the upholstery of furniture, hollow bedposts, under base boards and behind wallpaper. Signs of Bed Bug Infestations Bites are very irritating and can cause severe itching. Bites are commonly seen as red welts with a tiny dot at the center.They have not been shown to transmit any human disease.People may have varying degrees of allergic reactions to the bites. This is caused by anesthetic and anticoagulant substances injected during feeding. Scratching can lead to secondary bacterial infections. Stress, anxiety and sleeplessness often result from bed bug infestations. Visual signs are spots of brown excrement from the insects, dead bed bugs and molted skins. Fecal spots of digested blood might be seen on bedding. Look for dead bugs and cast skins in or near hiding places; in mattress seams, furniture crevices, or small dark areas. Bed bugs are nocturnal, most active in the hours before dawn. They avoid the light and are seldom seen.Large infestations are characterized by a distinct and unpleasant odor.

Sources of Introduction

Bed bug infestations are the result of the introduction of viable eggs or live bugs into the household.Nesting rodents (including bats), nesting birds, pests, guests and contaminated bedding are important means of spread. Bed bugs are also carried from place to place in the baggage or on the clothing of transients and occasionally in packages.They may be brought into non-infested houses with infested furniture.They may crawl from house to house in thickly settled neighborhoods.They can live without food for several months or possibly feed on the blood of mice and thus maintain an infestation in vacant homes. Places bed bugs are found include hotels, hostels, used furniture and household products, universities, self-storage facilities, rental or moving trucks, movie theaters, and homeless shelters.

Controls Bed bugs are very difficult to control. Once these pests enter an occupied house, only the repeated applications of selective insecticides will remove them.This is best left to the professional exterminator. General sanitation will not eliminate bed bug infestations but will greatly help prevent their spreading.Sanitation measures include: washing all bed clothes in hot water and drying in a hot dryer cycle (sheets, pillow cases, blankets, mattress covers); washing floors and walls (paying particular attention to cracks and crevices); rough, thorough vacuuming of floors, mattresses and box springs (pay particular attention to seams and folds), infested furniture and pet bedding (after vacuuming throw away or thoroughly empty the cleaner bag). Special encasement covers can fully enclose the mattress and box spring preventing insects from getting into or out of the bed. Placing the legs of the bed in shallow cups of mineral oil will prevent the bed bugs from climbing up to you. Another method is wrapping the legs with two-inch-wide sticky tape with the sticky side out to snare any climbers. Pull the bed away from the walls to further restrict access. Steam clean carpets and rugs. Reduce clutter in home to eliminate hiding spaces. Items that cannot be laundered may be frozen for more than 72 hours or heated to 120 degrees F for one hour. There are no repellents effective against bed bugs and as far as attractants, we are the bait.

Pesticide Safety Tips. READ THE LABEL on each pesticide container before each use. Apply as directed. Heed all warnings and precautions. Store pesticides in their original labeled containers out of reach of children, irresponsible people and pets, preferable under lock and key. Dispose of empty containers safely. For up to date chemical insecticide recommendations, call the UConn Home and Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Connecticut Coalition Against Bed Bugs page has many resources for homeowners.

Prevention Tips for Travelers Travelers can greatly reduce their risk of bringing bed bugs home by using several precautions. Inspect sleeping area of accommodations for any signs of bed bugs mentioned above. Choose hard sided luggage over soft. Put suitcases on luggage racks, not on the floor or bed. Do not place clothing in drawers. Hang items on shower rod instead of in closet, (Bring plastic hangers). Bring large plastic bags to bring clothing home. Once home, open the suitcases outdoors. Immediately wash all clothing in hot water. Dispose of empty bags in outdoor trash. Lightly spray luggage with pyrethrum-based insecticide. Read and follow label directions carefully whenever using pesticides.

Despite good cultural practices, pests and diseases at times may appear. Chemical control should be used only after all other methods have failed.

For pesticide information or other questions please call toll free: 877-486-6271.

References: Ridge, G.E. A Home Owners Guide to Human Bed Bugs http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/a_home_owners_guide_to_human_bed_bugs.pdf. Accessed on March 2, 2010. Jones, S.C. Bed Bugs http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105.html . Accessed on March 2, 2010. Gauthier, N.L. 2004. Bed Bugs http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/bedbugs.htm Accessed on March 2, 2010. Rev. by the UConn Home and Garden Education Center, 2019. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Dean of the College, Cooperative Extension System, University of Connecticut, Storrs. The Connecticut Cooperative Extension System is an equal opportunity employer and program provider. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, Stop Code 9410, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964.

Excerpt from:
Bed Bugs - ladybug.uconn.edu

The state Department of Public Health has confirmed that there is an open investigation into Carlson Place, a retirement and assisted living facility in Norwalk.

A spokesperson could not get into specifics about what they are investigating. They said their job is to regulate for health care quality and safety and make sure the patients needs are being met.

Mark DiPietro, who has been living there since October 2019, says 27 people live at the residential care facility. He says many of the elderly patients are not fed properly and there are bedbugs in nearly every room.

DiPietro says the investigation is necessary and some residents were nervous to come forward.

"Some of these people haven't been out of the house in three to four months. They're scared to talk, they're scared to say anything," he says.

The Department of Aging and Disability is also involved in the investigation and is working to make sure the rights of residents are protected.

Employees at the facility referred all of News 12s questions to the state Health Department, which said inspectors would be on site through the weekend.

More:
Norwalk assisted living facility probed amid complaints from residents - News 12 Connecticut

Updated 10:09pm EST, Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Coroner ID's 6 killed in Las Vegas apartment building fire

LAS VEGAS (AP) A Las Vegas coroner identified six people ranging from age 46 to 72 who were killed in a weekend fire at a downtown apartment building.

County Coroner John Fudenberg identified the victims Tuesday as city and county officials were investigating the cause and spread of the Saturday fire that also injured 13. His office said it did not yet have the cause of death for the victims and expected to release that within six to eight weeks.

The victims were identified as: Henry Lawrence Pinc, 70; Tracy Ann Cihal, 57; Francis Lombardo, Jr., 72; Cynthia Mikell, 61; Kerry Baclaan, 46 and Donald Keith Bennett, 63.

Bennett was a maintenance worker at the building whom surviving residents credited with saving lives. Survivors said the disabled Marine veteran risked his life as he ran through the building early Saturday, pounding on his neighbor's doors and screaming fire as black smoke filled the hallways.

His actions allowed others to escape in time. Resident Floyd Guenther recounted seeing Bennett trying to kick open doors to a back stairway that was bolted shut.

It is not surprising. Helping people it was in his DNA, his cousin Ray Bennett of the Baltimore, Maryland-area, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The predawn fire appeared to start Saturday around a stove in a first-floor unit of the building, forcing some residents to jump down from upper floor windows to escape thick smoke blocking exits.

Firefighters began treating the injured and helping rescue people hanging or jumping out of windows, according to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski. He said three people were found dead inside the building and three outside after the fire was extinguished.

City officials say there had been past code violations lodged against the building but all had been quickly resolved. Investigators are looking into resident complaints that the building's smoke or fire alarms weren't working properly and that some residents didn't have heat and were using stoves to keep warm.

Resident Dejoy Wilson, who is three months pregnant, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she and her husband tried to escape to the roof but found a stairwell door locked. Instead, she and her husband used a knotted bed sheet to escape from their third-floor apartment window.

Wilson said her hands slipped on the sheet and she fell to the ground, landing on her back. The 23-year-old was unconscious when her husband jumped to the ground and found her.

Wilson has been hospitalized since Saturday with injuries that include a broken back and broken ribs, but she says her babys heart is beating and should be OK.

Her husband Jonathan Wilson, 29, said that their apartment had bedbugs when they moved in several months ago, but it was affordable at $700 a month and they thought it was safe to live there.

Dejoy Wilsons grandparents have invited the couple to stay with them at their one-bedroom Las Vegas home.

Follow this link:
Coroner ID's 6 killed in Las Vegas apartment building fire - CT Post

Are There Bed Bugs in Connecticut?

A worldwide nuisance, bed bugs thrive in a variety of habitats, including Connecticut homes. Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed, with flat, chestnut-colored bodies. These pests live a little over a year and feed on human blood in order to grow. While they come out at night to bite residents, the bed bug typically hides in walls, bed frames, and mattresses during the day. As they can enter houses in a variety of ways and are hard to track down indoors, the pests can be a real problem for homeowners.

Since bed bugs feed on blood, the number one problem they cause is skin irritation. Aside from minor discomfort, bites may also lead to severe allergic reactions. When infestations are large enough, feedings can result in mild anemia in some people. In addition, simply knowing that bed bugs are hiding somewhere in the mattress creates stress for Connecticut homeowners, which can lead to anxiety and restlessness.

The most obvious sign of bed bug infestations is the small, itchy bite marks found in rows on the skin. Other indications include brown fecal spots or blood stains on sheets and a musty odor. Though bed bugs are not a result of dirty conditions, general sanitation may keep the pests from spreading. Washing bedding and vacuuming reduces their numbers, but it wont eradicate them. In order to properly eliminate bed bugs from Connecticut homes, contact the licensed specialists at Western Pest.

More:
Bed Bugs in CT: Info on Connecticut Bed Bug Control