Category Archives: Bed Bugs New Hampshire

This is a summary of bed bug law in NH.

If you need legal assistance regarding bedbugs,apply online. You can also call LARC, 1-800-639-5290.

Bed Bug Law HB 482, effective January 1, 2014.Summary:HB 482 will be effective Jan. 1, 2014. It clarifies landlord and tenant responsibilities during a bed bug infestation in rental property.

After report in tenants unit: Once a landlord becomes aware of a bed bug complaint in a tenants unit, he/she is allowed emergency entry into that unit for the next 72 hours .After report in adjacent unit: If there is a bed bug complaint from an adjacent unit, a landlord is allowed emergency entry into tenants unit. The landlord must give the tenant 48 hours notice.It is a violation for a tenant to willfully refuse emergency entry (contempt and contempt damages).

A landlord must provide the tenant with reasonable written instructions for preparing the unit for remediation. These instructions must be given to an adult 72 hours in advance of remediation.It is a violation for tenants to willfully refuse to comply with these instructions.Landlords can evict for failure of tenant to prepare the unit with advance reasonable written notice.However, landlords must allow for reasonable accommodation requests related to preparing the unit.

Landlords are required to pay up-front for all bed bug remediation costs.Landlords may recover costs for remediation in the tenants unit only, and only if tenant is considered responsible for the infestation.The tenant is presumed to be responsible if only his/her unit has bed bugs and there have no other bed bug reports in the unit or adjacent units in previous six (6) months.Landlords can evict responsible tenants for nonpayment, provided the landlord shows that he/she offered tenant a reasonable repayment agreement.

Read this Bed Bugs Guide to learn everything you would want to know about the insect and how to get rid of them.

Read this article to learn how best to choose a professional company to remove bed bugs.

HUD Notice 2012-5 & EPA/CDC Joint Statement on Bed Bug Control:

Apply for free help:Online or call 603-224-3333 or 1-800-639-5290

None of these 540-A violations directly result in statutory money damages, but contempt and contempt damages still a possibility.

If tenant is responsible and doesnt pay for cost in his/her unit, landlord can evict for nonpayment, but landlord must first show a reasonable repayment agreement was offered.Assumption tenant is responsible if the only tenant with bed bugs, and no other reports in last six (6) months.Other non-exhaustive factors for a court to consider to determine whether tenant is responsible: other locations of bed bugs; where first discovered; landlord efforts; and if tenant had bed bugs prior to moving in.

Landlord can evict for failure of tenant to prepare the unit with advance reasonable written notice.Compliance with prep: such instructions are given to an adult member of the tenant household such that the tenant household has a reasonable opportunity to comply, and in all cases at least 72 hours prior to remediation. RSA 540-A:3, V-c (emphasis added).Reasonable accommodation requests related to preparing your unit.Mental or physical disabilities apply.Reasonable accommodation requests can be made verbally.

Definition of remediation is substantial reduction of bed bugs for at least 60 days.Municipality housing codes on bed bugs must be no less protective than other housing codes dealing with other insects.

Follow this link:
Bed Bugs in NH & the Law - New Hampshire Legal Aid

January 26, 2016

Tenants in Nashua New Hampshire, dont have to let bed bugs control their lives. To help prevent the spread of bed bugs in New Hampshire, new legislation concerning the management of bed bugs by landlords and tenants was enacted in 2013 and 2014. Under the new laws, landlords are required to take action within seven days after bed bug infestation is reported. Willful failure to investigate or address the problem is a violation that may result in a charge of contempt and contempt damages. After being notified of an infestation, a landlord is allowed emergency entry into the affected unit for 72 hours. Tenants must be given written instructions for unit preparation prior to remediation, and in most cases, landlords are required to pay for all remediation costs.

Signs of bed bug infestation include the presence of live or dead insects, black specks of fecal matter and blood stains in and around your mattresses, linens, upholstered furniture, baseboards and window coverings.You may also notice unusual odors emanating from your bedding and skin lesions that appear overnight. Bed bug infestation is a common problem in hotels, resorts, dormitories and airports. Current bed bug sightings are documented by theNew Hampshire Bed Bug Registry.If youre planning a trip to the area, its a good idea to check the registry for updated reports before making your travel arrangements.

Because most bed bugs gain access to your house by hitchhiking in your luggage or inside furniture or boxes, preventing infestation requires diligent care when traveling or bringing new items into your home. Before unpacking your suitcase, inspect delicate items closely, and wash all other clothing in hot water. Never place your suitcase or other items directly on flooring surfaces when traveling. If youre already a victim of bed bug infestation, heat remediation is the most effective way to solve the problem. Chemical products may be useful in areas that cannot tolerate heat. To ensure the best results, contact a professional pest control company.

When you accidentally bring home blood-thirsty souvenirs from your vacation, contact the pest control company in Nashua New Hampshire that home and business owners trust. At Modern Pest Services, were leaders in eradicating bed bugs through carefully customized treatment plans that include both electric or propane thermal remediation and conventional chemical treatments. If you suspect that bed bugs have found their way into your living space, request an inspection today.

Excerpt from:
New Bed Bug Report For NH - Eradication and Prevention

A bedbug was reported at the school on May 23 and another was found two days later in another part of the school, said city Health Director Tim Soucy. Officials ordered thorough cleanings and a limited pesticide application in an attempt to eliminate the bugs, he said.

He believes the bugs were brought to school from the outside.

There are certainly still issues with bedbugs in the community, Soucy said. This is not unique to Manchester by any stretch of the imagination.

On Friday, Principal Polly Golden announced that the plastic bags would be distributed to the 450 Wilson students on Tuesday morning. She stressed that the Health Department made no recommendations to close the elementary school.

Soucy said a bug was reported in a second floor area of the school on May 23. The following evening, the citys cleaning service Aramark cleaned the area with hepa-filtered vacuum cleaners.

A contractor applied pesticide and set traps in the area.

But an adult bug was found on the first floor on Thursday, which prompted plans for a top to bottom hepa vacuuming of the school and pesticide applications at both locations. That took place on Friday after the close of school, said Philip Alexakos, Manchester chief of environmental health.

In her letter, Golden said the school is following a best-practices plan that has been in place since 2011 and is modeled after New York City guidelines.

She said the situation is being monitored, and the plan will be adjusted as needed.

Soucy referred to bedbugs as hitchhikers, likely to be transported in something like a backpack or pants cuff, but not on a persons skin.

They only feed at night, and they dont like light, he said. They prefer carpeting, upholstery and clothing to hard surfaces such as concrete floors or wooden cabinets, he said

These bugs like to hide. They really dont want to be in a school. They hitch a ride, Soucy said.

Bedbugs hiding in clothing or other material can be killed if exposed to heat, Alexakos said. They would die instantly if exposed to temperatures of 120 degrees or higher. Twenty to 30 minutes in a medium or high-temperature dryer will also kill them.

Soucy said his department does not compile the number of bedbug reports associated with city schools, but the city Facilities Division receives reports of all maintenance-related problems, including insect infestations, in city buildings.

mhayward@unionleader.com

View post:
Manchester battles bedbugs at Wilson School - The Union Leader

NewHampshire.com

Man who claimed he set fire to Candia home to kill bed bugs must pay $180k restitution NewHampshire.com According to an affidavit written by an investigator from the state Fire Marshal's Office filed after the fire, Gracyalny confessed and told authorities that he and his wife had been dealing with the bed bug infestation for about two weeks before he ... and more »

Read the original:
Man who claimed he set fire to Candia home to kill bed bugs must pay $180k restitution - NewHampshire.com

Should the landlord or the tenant deal with bed bugs found on the property?

Id like to apologizein advance if reading this makes you itchy, but this topic is one that frequently comes up for landlords.

Theres been a bed bug renaissance of sorts across the country because these disgusting critters have become resistant to pesticides.

The cities with the worst bed bug infestations in 2014, according to the number of Terminix service calls (source), were the following:

Even if you dontown property in one of the top 15 cities, your rental property could still get bed bugs in various ways. One common way is your tenant bringing them in after traveling. (Note: travelers can check the Bed Bug Registry before choosing a hotel.)

Bed bugs can attach to your tenants clothing, luggage and backpacks and can be transported back to your rentalproperty that way. Because it can be difficult to determine how the bed bugs arrived, especially in an apartment building, you shouldnt concern yourself too much with that question.

Ring Ring I think wehave bed bugs!

If your tenant calls you in a panic, stating that there are bed bugs, keep calm.The problem might not be bed bugs; itcouldbe fleas or roaches.

Call an exterminator to diagnose the problem. The exterminator should look at all mattresses and bedding in the rental property. He should also look in couches, drawers, closets and shelves.

The first step is to treat the problem before it gets worse. You can always figure out the responsibility later.

Related: How to Kill Roaches in a Rental Property

Responsibility should fall on whomever brought them in the house.

An exterminator might be able to tell you how the bed bugs arrived. For example, if a swarm of bed bugs is found in the tenants luggage and he just got back from a business trip, then you certainly could hold the tenant responsible.

But generally speaking, faultis difficult to prove, particularly in an apartment building. In this case, a resident of another unit could have brought in the bed bugs, and those bed bugs could have then traveled from the infested apartment to your rental through floorboards or small cracks in the walls.

The question of who brought in the bed bugs is easier to determine if the rental in question is a single-family house. Buteven then, a maintenance person, not the tenant, could have brought in the bed bugs.

If the bed bugs were present before your tenant moved in, you need to pay for an exterminator.

If you do nothing about the bed bug infestation, your tenant can take actions against you, such as paying for an exterminator and deducting that amount from the rent or even breaking the lease or suing you for not providing a livable dwelling under the implied warranty of habitability doctrine.

If the tenant brought in the bed bugs, the question of who pays for an exterminator might depend on the state in which you live. As of April 2014, 22states and one territory have laws addressing bed bugs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

If your state has no regulations and you can prove the tenant brought in the bed bugs, you can charge your tenant for the cost to remove them.

Getting rid of bed bugs is a time-consuming process that your tenant must be on board with.Once your tenant notifies you of the bed bug problem, you need to act immediately. The longer you wait, the worse the problem becomes.

Here are steps to have your tenant take:

Heres what the exterminator should do:

Once the bed bugs are gone, your property can become infested again. Make sure your tenant knows not to bring in mattresses and other furniture found on the street.

You might also wish to share with your tenant some best practices when traveling:

This useful video shows you how professionals get rid of bed bugs.

Your tenant might be able to break the lease if he or she told you about the bed bug problem and you did nothing about it.

Your tenant needs to giveyou proper notice (which varies by state) of his or her intention to break the lease and time to fix the problem.

You should never knowingly rent property infested with bed bugs. You could be sued for doing that. If your tenant can prove you knew, you might be ordered to pay damages.

Laura Agadoni is a landlord and journalist whose articles appear in various publications such as Trulia, The Houston Chronicle, The Motley Fool, SFGate, Zacks, The Penny Hoarder and azcentral. Visit her website at http://www.lauraagadoni.com.

More here:
How to Deal with Bed Bugs at Your Rental Property