[Nothappytenant]

I'm asking for advice as I just moved in last week and low and behold, they have cockroaches here! Plus, instead of calling an exterminator so my things don't get infested as well, she orders propane from their bill for the last 3 month's and expects me to pay that and old charges she owes from maintaining her road. Already, I pay $550 of the $800 rent and I'm only getting one room.

 

[poppy]

Have you thought about telling her to shove it and moving?

 

[Evons hubby]

I'm asking for advice as I just moved in last week and low and behold, they have cockroaches here! Plus, instead of calling an exterminator so my things don't get infested as well, she orders propane from their bill for the last 3 month's and expects me to pay that and old charges she owes from maintaining her road. Already, I pay $550 of the $800 rent and I'm only getting one room.

She’s not charging you anything for the cockroaches? Cool!

 

[Nothappytenant]

Have you thought about telling her to shove it and moving?

I explained the situation. I just moved in and paid for a month and a half to start,and since they're trying to milk me for more that is not my responsibly after one week, I seriously doubt I'd see one cent of it back.

 

[Nothappytenant]

She’s not charging you anything for the cockroaches? Cool!

Gee, thanks for the advice

 

[Evons hubby]

Gee, thanks for the advice

As a landlord myself I can sympathize with you. Sounds like you’ve gotten into a sticky situation. Cut your losses and run as soon as possible!

 

[Nothappytenant]

As a landlord myself I can sympathize with you. Sounds like you’ve gotten into a sticky situation. Cut your losses and run as soon as possible!

Ya, I already ordered something online that's supposed to get rid of the cockroaches, but it's not like I want to be here any more either. Just can't afford to move twice in a row. Sick to my stomach over this. It's detrimental to my health and belongings as well.

 

[Kstar]

Definitely consider moving. Don't wait around to see what unfolds if at all possible...

My husband and I got into a horrible apartment complex one time. Everything seemed great...until we moved in. The roach problem was bad. We'd always leave the kitchen light on because when we turned it off and went back in an hour to turn it on, there'd be about 100 roaches scattering on the floor. I couldn't even cook! I was making hamburger one evening and looked away for like 5 seconds and there were cockroaches in my skillet...it was still extremely hot, too. Pretty much cooked roaches and hamburger.

We had pest control come in when we weren't home to spray the kitchen. We hated the idea of commercial chemical pesticides in our home, but didn't feel we had a choice. They were gone for maybe a week and then they all piled back. We tried other things like borax and diatomaceous earth...didn't help. They seemed to come into our apartment halfway through our lease after the people upstairs moved out. We figured they had an issue upstairs and when they had no food they came down to us. They were in our shoes, bookshelves, pantry, refrigerator, everywhere after a point...

We talked to the office about it because we were tired of it. We requested a new unit so we could finish our lease. They said we couldn't, there were none available, and that they have had this pest problem in our building for decades and have never been able to get rid of them....um...wow...they could've told us that before we moved in? Nah, why would they? I lost a lot of trust in them after they knew about the issues of a unit and let my husband and I with our small child move in.

Here's a word of advice - if an apartment complex/landlord includes commercial pest control service in the rent cost and they seem to have a contract with them and know them pretty well, then that's a huge flag for pest problems. Do not even go there.

Look into throwing the money into an ESCROW account until the pest control problem is solved due to uninhabitable living conditions. I know this can be done, but I'm not sure how to set it up. I think you also end up writing a letter to your apartment management that the money is in a separate account for when all the issues are solved. Perhaps look into that to see if you can get that set up or something.

Is the propane cost in the lease? Are road maintenance fees in the lease? If those aren't in the lease then they shouldn't be able to charge them as that was not part of the lease agreement.

Look to break your lease if you can. This can be tricky because even if you have an excuse, landlords can bat around and make their excuses, too. You can say it's uninhabitable, but they can claim they are doing everything possible for it to be habitable. They can play dumb saying there isn't an infestation. Things like that. Some leases can be broken by certain clauses - check the lease. I remember one time my husband and I needed out of a lease at another apartment complex and simply talked to the landlord about our situation and they agreed to break the lease and that we'd only owe the next month's rent. Sometimes talking to the landlord can help.

 

[doc-]

I have mixed emotions about your situation...After all, the cock roach is quite obviously God's favorite creation. He invented them 600 million yrs ago (dinosaurs are only 100 million yrs old) and the bugs trapped in amber from that period are indistinguishable from examples today-- God liked them so much, He hasn't wanted to change them at all.

OTOH, it gets tiring pushing your refrigerator back to it's place every morning after the roaches tried to walk off with it the night before.

If the infestation is all that bad, nothing will get rid of them.

Cut you losses and leave.

 

[Wolf mom]

I pay $550 of the $800 rent and I'm only getting one room.

So, if I read this correctly, you are paying $500 for one room in someone elses house? And that the total rent/mortgage payment your landlord is paying for the whole place is $800? What's wrong with that picture?

Recognize you made a huge mistake. Move forward.
Do not pay any more money to the landlord. Move as soon as you can.
You will never get rid of the cockroaches as they are in the walls of the whole house.

 

[georger]

Slumlords suck. Cut and run.

 

[GTX63]

Your deal sucks and I really do sympathize with you.
The short of it is, even if it breaks your bank, you really need to go.
We might think the pest control guys are trying to pull a big sell on us when they quote to treat a house for cockroaches and includes the cost of multiple trips back or a monthly plan.
The truth is that when a roach dies, they leave their eggs. Treat a house full of big fat roaches and you will see little babies in 2 weeks.
You have moved into a severe bug problem and maybe worse, a shady roommate problem.
Move as soon as possible. You can cry now or you can cry every day you stay there.

 

[Evons hubby]

Cockroaches are easy to kill. Just turn heat off for few days in winter. They freeze right out. Of course so do all your plumbing lines. My first rental house was terribly overrun with roaches when I bought it. That winter while remodeling ( including all new plumbing) the heat was off for a week. Roach problem solved!

 

[GTX63]

Years ago, the manager of a very large multi apartment complex of government run (HUD) housing (northern midwest United States) used to use the freeze method on roaches. If during the winter a tenant moved or was kicked out, they emptied out the trash, shut the water off to that unit and opened all the windows for about 10 days. Yes, the druggies and prostitutes climbed in. Yes, the roaches packed up and migrated to the adjoining apartments. It was her idea of controlled infestation. She managed the area for 20 years and about every 6-7 years the Feds would allocate rehab money. Then she would empty out an entire building of 16 units each and freeze the whole structure. She would then rent the new units out only to existing tenants who were on her good list. She looked like Maude, chain smoked and talked to the tenants like they were children. She always kept the office counter full of pamphlets for govt assistance as well as a basket full of condoms.
She was a stereotypical liberal racist.

 

[SLFarmMI]

I'm asking for advice as I just moved in last week and low and behold, they have cockroaches here! Plus, instead of calling an exterminator so my things don't get infested as well, she orders propane from their bill for the last 3 month's and expects me to pay that and old charges she owes from maintaining her road. Already, I pay $550 of the $800 rent and I'm only getting one room.

If you've been there more than a night or two, the cockroaches are already in your stuff. Take anything that can be washed to the laundromat (in sealed garbage bags so the little buggers don't infest your car) and wash everything in hot water -- hot as you can get it. Do not bring those things back into the house. Leave them in your car. Anything that can stand freezing, freeze. Everything else, vacuum like there's no tomorrow and take outside to sit in the sun for a few hours. You may end up trashing some things. Do not bring anything that you have cleaned back into the house. Any food that is not sealed in cans or glass, toss out.

If you paid the rent by check and they have not cashed your check, go to the bank and stop payment. Do not give these people one more red cent. Get out of that place ASAP. You may have to live in your car in a campground for a bit. Unpleasant but doable. If you paid cash, ask for your money back and, if they will not return it, you may want to look into small claims court.

Best of luck.

 

[RJ2019]

Yes, just go. The long term benefits will far outweigh the temporary misery of doing so. Do you have a rental contract? If not, great, leave now. If you do have one, try to get some of your money recovered. You have no responsibility to pay utilities you weren't there to use

 

[boatswain2PA]

I explained the situation. I just moved in and paid for a month and a half to start,and since they're trying to milk me for more that is not my responsibly after one week, I seriously doubt I'd see one cent of it back.

So you are renting a room from someone who is also a tenant, paid for a month and a half rent, and just moved in to find an infestation of cockroaches and the landlord (who is really the other tenant) keeps hitting you up for money to pay for things. Right?

IF so,what was the pre-move-in agreement regarding expenses? Is there a lease or other writtten agreement? Did you agree to split the utilities? If there was an agreement (written or verbal), then you are obligated to follow the agreement. If there was no agreement, then you are under no obligation to pay any more than the $500/month.

I don't know what you mean about paying to maintain her old road. If she is a tenant (total rent is $800, and you pay $500) she shouldn't be maintaining the road. That should be up to the owner of the property.

Regarding cockroaches. If you work out the financial situation with your roommate/landlord and decide you will stay, then you may want to pay for an exterminator yourself (after coming to an agreement with roommate/landlord about keeping them at bay).

As a landlord, if there are fleas/cockroaches when a tenant moves in then I immediately pay to get rid of them. Recently had a tenant move in and they found a few fleas jumping as they moved in. I immediately flea-bombed the house and took care of it. Haven't had a problem with cockroaches, possibly because I ensure my tenants keep the house adequately clean (yes, I know cockroaches can live in clean houses).

If you cannot come to an agreement about finances and bugs then I would use this as an expensive lesson and start looking at moving. There is a term in business called "sunk costs" that means money that has been sunk into a project that appears to be lost, and it's not worth throwing more money after the problem just to save the original investment. You may be at this point where your first $750 is a sunk cost, and you may just need to let it go and move on. Never live with someone without a written agreement that spells out financial obligations.

Best of luck, pls let us know how it turns out.

 

[HDRider]

I don't know what state you live, but I found this

We talked with David Kirkman, with the Consumer Protection Division of the State Attorney General's office. "At some point, if it can't be taken care of, the tenant does have probable grounds to terminate that lease," said Kirkman.

He says landlords must make sure a property is habitable. "And that means it's free of any kind of roach, or rat or other animal infestation," added Kirkman.

Tenants have to give a landlord written notice of a problem, and give the landlord time to fix the issue. As for rent, in North Carolina you cannot legally withhold it.

Renter learns her rights after roach infestation :: WRAL.com

A Cary woman eventually got a refund after living in a roach-infested rental.

www.wral.com

 

[boatswain2PA]

Cockroaches are easy to kill. Just turn heat off for few days in winter. They freeze right out. Of course so do all your plumbing lines. My first rental house was terribly overrun with roaches when I bought it. That winter while remodeling ( including all new plumbing) the heat was off for a week. Roach problem solved!

I did much the same thing to one of my rental houses. There was cockroach shells/feces EVERYWHERE when I gutted it. Neighbors on 3 sides said that about a week after the previous tenants moved out they suddenly found cockroaches in their houses. 6 years later and haven't had a cockroach problem yet.

 

[stars at night]

Ya, I already ordered something online that's supposed to get rid of the cockroaches, but it's not like I want to be here any more either. Just can't afford to move twice in a row. Sick to my stomach over this. It's detrimental to my health and belongings as well.

try going to the Codes Office in your area or county. Take pics with you. Put your things that you still want in storage and move out. Do not take anything with you that may be a hiding place for bugs, including bedbugs. After you leave never return to that place because it won't be good. If you need money ask family or friends or go to your bank for a small loan if that's possible. It's renters and buyers beware before they sign a lease or agree to move in. Prolly won't see any of your money back. Do not give them one cent more.