Im disgusted (New York, York, Hope: apartment, lease, motels)

[Rachel420]

I moved into an apartment in Forest Hills at the end of June. Shortly after, I became aware of a roach problem in the building. Before I rented it, I looked at the apartment and I didnt see any....I looked in the kitchen cupboards, in the closets, in the bathroom cabinet.....I didnt see any signs. But after I moved in, I saw a few. I called the manager and a couple weeks later he sent an exterminator that sprayed all through the apt. The exterminator told my bf (who was at my apt when the ext came) that the apartment down the hall was infested with them. A couple days later I spoke with an elderly neighbor who asked me if there were roaches in my apt (because she had seen the exterminator here). I told her I saw some roaches and she told me that the neighbor down the hall had fallen a few weeks before I moved in and gone to the hospital where he later died. She said that no one had been in his apt for about a month and apparently it was really bad roach wise. They had just gotten into it recently and were starting to clean it up. A couple weeks ago I saw a roach in my kitchen and then the next day I saw one in the living room. I called the manager immediately and yesterday the exterminator came again....and sprayed again. Today I come home from work....open the refrigerator, and lo and behold, theres a roach...dead, in the refrigerator. It made me sick to my stomach. I looked at the refrigerator door and noticed that the seal on the bottom of the door is ripped so im thinking thats how it got in. I called the management office tonight and left a message explaining that I foud a roach in the fridge and explaining that the seal on the fridge door is ripped. Im so disgusted Id love to break the lease but I dont have the money to move now. I will have it in a few months. My questions are 1) Is the LL obligated to replace the fridge? I dont even care if its not new, I just want it to seal so no more roaches can get in. 2) Is this considered an infestation? Ive seen maybe a total of probably 8 roaches in about 2 months. 3) Can I break a lease for this??? I understand that theyre sending an exterminator so they are trying to remedy the issue, which I appreciate....but if the entire building is infested what good is it gonna do? Theyre just gonna keep coming back. Im not prepared to live like this. I spend really long days at work, I have a long commute and I dont wanna come home to roaches.

[bellakin123]

I should have stopped reading since I just finished dinner lol...sorry you're going through this. You can never really tell when there's a roach problem when you see an apt during the day. As for the fridge, that all depends on the building owner and management. In the building I used to live in they furnished the fridge but after a few years they stopped. Tenants were responsible for their own and tenants were able to take the fridge with them if they wanted. Mine was brand new so when I moved it came with me. Ask the management office what their policy is. If you have to buy one would they reimburse you? If so then you might not be able to take it if you move out. 8 roaches in 2 months isn't an infestation and you're fortunate they're trying to remedy the problem. I would get the baits and place them by the entry way and in corners in the kitchen. Place them in areas you've seen them. It doesn't sound like it should get worse if they do a thorough extermination on the apt down the hall and spray the others. Hope it all works out

[Mr. Chad]

I too live in Forest Hills in an apartment and haven't had too much of a pest problem. I've seen waterbugs around on occasion, millipedes etc....but have killed them all. I think they get into my apartment through the drain pipes or something... but either way, my wife and I clean the apartment thoroughly, and after every meal we always take out the trash and make sure not to leave any food lying around.

My building has an exterminator that comes around once a month to do his rounds, and I've never taken him up on his offer, but next month, i think I will take him up on the exterminator treatment as a precaution.
You can be squeaky clean, but if you neighbor is a slob, you'll get roaches

[Rachel420]

Originally Posted by Mr. Chad

I too live in Forest Hills in an apartment and haven't had too much of a pest problem. I've seen waterbugs around on occasion, millipedes etc....but have killed them all. I think they get into my apartment through the drain pipes or something... but either way, my wife and I clean the apartment thoroughly, and after every meal we always take out the trash and make sure not to leave any food lying around.

My building has an exterminator that comes around once a month to do his rounds, and I've never taken him up on his offer, but next month, i think I will take him up on the exterminator treatment as a precaution.
You can be squeaky clean, but if you neighbor is a slob, you'll get roaches

Ive been making sure I never leave any food out at all. I run the dishwasher every night and take out the trash every day, sometimes twice a day. I even bought a timed feeder for my cat because I didnt want his food sitting out all day and all night. I take any leftover food out of his dish at night before I go to bed and either put it in a ziploc bag that I then place in a sealed canister OR I put it back in his feeder. Im vacuuming and cleaning all the time. Something else which I neglected to include in my post is that the 8 roaches I saw included 1 in the elevator (which was alive) and a dead one in the hallway by the laundry room on the first floor...so theyre not just on my floor.

[bellakin123]

Originally Posted by Rachel420

Ive been making sure I never leave any food out at all. I run the dishwasher every night and take out the trash every day, sometimes twice a day. I even bought a timed feeder for my cat because I didnt want his food sitting out all day and all night. I take any leftover food out of his dish at night before I go to bed and either put it in a ziploc bag that I then place in a sealed canister OR I put it back in his feeder. Im vacuuming and cleaning all the time. Something else which I neglected to include in my post is that the 8 roaches I saw included 1 in the elevator (which was alive) and a dead one in the hallway by the laundry room on the first floor...so theyre not just on my floor.

That's inevitable when you live in a building, especially if there's a trash room or garbage chute. I used to see them in the basement too. Just be careful with what they spray in your apt since you have a pet.

[Bronxguyanese]

Welcome to New York

[Gesarsenal]

I'm no expert but I remember being told that roaches are attracted more to water ie leaks than they are food...Feel free to correct me if I am wrong

[uncalifornian girl]

Originally Posted by Bronxguyanese

Welcome to New York

How common is this in NYC???

(You mean it isn't just some horror story you tell to keep us newbie Californians out?)

And is all that rat/bedbug sh***t true too?!!!

[Henna]

Except for the roach in the fridge, which is truly disgusting, it doesn't sound that bad. The reasons it doesn't sound bad are the management is taking action, and you've only seen 8 in 2 months.

I suggest doing whatever research you can on the matter. A friend who had this problem caulked all cracks and used roach motels and borax as well as the building's exterminator.

In my old building, there was one apartment down the hall from me where the family was evicted for non-payment of rent and I saw the apartment after they left. It was a total wreck, with roaches scurrying everywhere. Fast forward to after a few months of treatment, and the place looked brand new, no roaches in site. I think during the time of the treatment, I did get a few stray roaches coming in via the hallway, but that stopped once the super cleared up the problem in that other apartment.

[jcoltrane]

OP, as BG said, welcome to NYC!

The majority of people have roach issues. The situation you described is rather average.

If it grosses you out to the degree it seems, then you have a problem.

There is only two ways to deal with it:

1) continue as you are. Pay heed to the comments re "water". Those things need to drink as well. Make sure the kitchen and bath are kept dry, especially at night! The kitchen sink s/b clean and dry! The ct's bowll s/n have water overnight.

2) it may be a probllem with the cat, but Lime works wonders. Place under your carpet or linoleum. Also, there is a sort of paste that comes in a tube (Ii thi k it may be similar to the stuff in roach motels or whatever)l. Place that in any 'crcks about where they make be nested. Ask the exterminator.

Maybe ask someone to keep the cat for a couple of months.,

Do the above and it should help significantly.

Other than that the only way is to earn more money in order to pay more rent. Then find a high quality well maintained upscale building. New buildings of this caliber are great, as they won't havee bugs or mice. Ask the management before rent about the issue and what measures they take. Ask tenants before renting. Also be aware of the caliber of tenants!!!

The last thing upscale people will tolerate is to be having a dinner party and a roach or mice joins the party. Managers of upscale buildings know this and provide the according quality.

Now, some people will say that income doesn't matter all buildings in NYC have a problem to one degree or another. On one hand they are right, BUT on the other they are wrong! It is all in the mainttenance of the building.


For example, my building, last Winter after the big snow storm, I was standing outside my building, I watched a large mouse climb out of the snow piled on the corner, from the sewer I believe he camme. I watched, very curious as to where he was going, and if he was headed to my building.

The mouse was freezing and apparently desparate. Snow effects everything! His natural home where ever it was must have been snowed in or something and he was seeking shelter.

First, he attempted to crash the corner trash recepticle, but was thwarted by the relative new metal cases the sanitation dept is now using, which completely covers the garbage container inside. The mouse could not find a way inside.

He gabe up on the recepticle, and then, as I feared headed to the building! I fully expected the mouse to find an opening, I actually figured he already had a door iinto the building, even though I had never seen a mouse and was unaware of any complaints.

Mine is a sizeable building, and comparatively new and modern. I watched as the mouse as the mouse started at one end of the building scooting aalong the bottom edge pressing the whole length seeking an opening. Again, he was thwarted!

The bottom edge where the building's bricks met with the sidewalk was fully sealed with no wear nor tear, and was constructed well enough to withstand the mouse's efforts to penetrate. Thwarted again, the mouse desparately headed back to the snow and toward the street. I suppose he went back to the sewer and perhaps froze to death.

I can only speculate that insects meet the same fate when attempting to penetrate the building. The difference is that insects can crwal up the side of a building, and some fly! So, in my building it appears that it is important to keep the screen door to the balconey closed when the glass door is open during Spring, Summer and warm Fall days, as I have noted insects will crawl several floors up!!

In two years, we've seen two roaches, and we have no idea where they came from. The balcony I suppose. The building is vigilant with extermination service, every month I think, and they will come the next day with just a call. Tenants have the option of allowing the exterminator in or not, by signing a list. In our sizeable building less than five names are ever on the list. We did not request service. After seeing each roach, we waited for another showing which did not come til a year later. None have been seen since.

I won't deal with these things at the rent I pay for a 2 bdrm. We plan on moving in a year or so to a 3 bdrm, we might buy. Rent will likely be double, and most in the forum will find it outrageous, but you get what you pay for. Besides its only money!

Best advice, earn more! Quickly!

I'd say $2000 is the mnimum necessary for a 1 or 2 bdrm, i order to live roach free. Plus a relatively new building with good management and good tenants. Watch out for building which are just bid 'Dorms' filllec with the post college crowd! They don't know how to live; and, excreted alcohol laced vomit is a sure roach magnet!!

PS, don't forget to line the walls with Lime to serve as a barrier against your neighbors!