Very bad apartment situation..need advice

[Cutea]

Originally Posted by Leona Valley

I’m curious as to wether or not you inspected the place prior to signing s lease.

Yes, I did.. I went over there during the day though, and I didn't see anything (was only there for a short visit).

[Cutea]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

How long was the apartment vacant before you moved in?

Hi CaseyB,
It actually wasn't vacant.. There was a family with 2 children, 2 adults living there. I believe they were from another country (India?).. They were apparently very messy, and I'm guessing they left food around. The landlord claims that they never mentioned anything about a roach problem to him... They moved out 2 days before I moved in.

[Cutea]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I've never heard of cockroaches coming out during the day. The one time I had them was in an apartment where the man who lived below me was a slob and professionals had to come and actually clean his entire apartment out, cockroaches, spoiled food, trash, and all.

Then the cockroaches must have had nowhere to go. That's when I got up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water and saw this horrible thing walking on the counter top. I've heard that they come out when it's dark.

One thing--they did come and spray all around the baseboards. I was afraid for my dog (slept on the floor, ate anything in sight, etc.) Sure enough, a few months later my dog got (rare) nasal cancer and died. No, I can't prove it, of course. Just saying that because the stuff they spray will be a poison and you said you had a cat. Maybe your cat can stay elsewhere--I don't know how long it takes before it would be safe, but, as an animal lover, I'd hate to see anything like that happen.

Yes, unfortunately when there is a severe cockroach infestation, you WILL see them during the day... I see them at all times of the day, morning and night.

This is actually a really big concern of mine: the poison and my cat.. The landlord has agreed to hire an exterminator, but I will have to tell them about the cat. I honestly may just stay here for another week or two, and then move...

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by Cutea

Hi CaseyB,
It actually wasn't vacant.. There was a family with 2 children, 2 adults living there. I believe they were from another country (India?).. They were apparently very messy, and I'm guessing they left food around. The landlord claims that they never mentioned anything about a roach problem to him... They moved out 2 days before I moved in.

I'm not surprised it was occupied, that's what attracted the roaches, not an empty apartment. If any of the other tenants are like that family, it will continue.

My husband used to rent an apartment in Brookline Village. There were 6 units or so and the landlord had to have the building sprayed once a month. One time I opened the oven door to bake something and 8-10 roaches ran out onto the floor.

I would move if I could.

[Cutea]

CaseyB, do you think I should move because the roaches cannot be permanently eradicated? I was hopeful that after the extermination, the apartment would be livable, but who knows.. I've never encountered this situation before.

Apartment hunting in the Arlington area is VERY difficult.. everything I've seen is either dumpy, or way above my price range. I also have a cat, which complicates things. A lot of landlords will NOT accept an indoor cat.

I guess time will tell! The exterminator said I will start to see a "decline" in the roaches within the next few weeks....

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by Cutea

...

I guess time will tell! The exterminator said I will start to see a "decline" in the roaches within the next few weeks....

Years ago, I lived in a roach-infested studio apartment in Allston. When I moved out, I took my dresser and stuff with me, and sprayed the dresser in my new place. I counted about 200 dead roaches from the dresser. Never saw any again in the new apartment so spraying worked. But they will stagger out of the walls and die in front of you. It's quite a sight. I hate the parasites that they are. Used a roach bomb (have to be out all day, cover dishes, etc.) on the original apartment and there were hundreds or thousands of bodies but it did the trick.

I worked a couple of night shifts at the old Bay Cove psych hospital in Boston. Shined a flashlight into the kitchen when making rounds and it came alive. Endless roaches. I hung my purse off the floor so as not to take them home.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by Cutea

CaseyB, do you think I should move because the roaches cannot be permanently eradicated? I was hopeful that after the extermination, the apartment would be livable, but who knows.. I've never encountered this situation before.

Apartment hunting in the Arlington area is VERY difficult.. everything I've seen is either dumpy, or way above my price range. I also have a cat, which complicates things. A lot of landlords will NOT accept an indoor cat.

I guess time will tell! The exterminator said I will start to see a "decline" in the roaches within the next few weeks....

If the family that was responsible for the infestation has moved out, then maybe not. I think it may take more than one treatment.

[Cutea]

The family that was initially responsible for the infestation has moved... however, my downstairs neighbors are now reporting that they are seeing roaches (and never have before)... a few days ago, a bunch of them ran out the front door of my apartment and I couldn’t stomp on them fast enough (this was before the exterminator came).

The exterminator came a few days ago, but I’m still seeing live babies walking around. The landlord only agreed to treat my unit ONCE, even though I requested that he do monthly maintenance. He gave me the option to break the lease, do you all think I should do it? I don’t have another apartment to move into, but I could always stay in a motel or with family until I found something. From what I read about German cockroach infestations, it usually requires regular, monthly treatments AND treating the entire building in order to eradicate them. Would you move if you were in my situation, or stay and tough it out??? The apartment grosses me out at this point. I’ve never seen so many roaches in my life. I’m afraid to cook or keep food in the kitchen, or to even put my clothes in the closets.

[RBThescot]

If you had called the Board of Health, or a lawyer or housing advocate, you'd have someone on your side who has accurate information and you wouldn't have to be on a message board getting advice from strangers. There are times to go it alone and times to seek appropriate help from specialists.

Cockroach breed fast and furious. Their eggs are small and hard to see. If you go stay with family you might drag the eggs with you in your clothing and household goods and cause an infestation at your family's​ home.

[Cutea]

Originally Posted by RBThescot

If you had called the Board of Health, or a lawyer or housing advocate, you'd have someone on your side who has accurate information and you wouldn't have to be on a message board getting advice from strangers. There are times to go it alone and times to seek appropriate help from specialists.

Cockroach breed fast and furious. Their eggs are small and hard to see. If you go stay with family you might drag the eggs with you in your clothing and household goods and cause an infestation at your family's​ home.

I wouldn’t be carrying any eggs or roaches with me, because I never actually lived there. I stayed one night and then removed all of my belongings ASAP and put them either in my car, or at my friend’s storage unit. I can still call the board of health, but I didn’t think I needed to because the landlord told me that I could leave if I wanted to. I also don’t think I’d have a case because he hired an exterminator when I asked for it, so he can say that he has made a “reasonable effort” to fix the situation.

I’m asking for advice on a forum from “strangers” because I’ve never been in a situation like this before and I wanted to see if anyone else has, and what they’ve done.