Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – Several Central New Yorkers have contacted NewsChannel 9 with questions about bed bugs – and who is responsible for disposing of them in rental properties.
According to Syracuse Code Enforcement, the landlord is responsible for exterminating the bugs before renting out the apartment or home. Once the tenants have moved in, the responsibility changes.
In a one-unit dwelling, for example, the tenant is responsible in most cases. In an apartment complex or building with two or more units, the landlord is responsible for taking care of the problem in the public areas of the building.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the tenant has the right – in some cases – to sue the landlord if an infestation isn’t addressed and starts spreading to other units in an apartment complex.
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