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I live in an apartment complex in Texas. I had a bed bug infestation few weeks ago at a pretty much early stage.
I have lived here for almost two years and never moved in any furniture or beds since moving in.
The apt complex management chose the exterminator, chose the treatment and then sent me the bill of ~1200$. Paying the whole thing for a rental is ridiculous.
Can they do that? Can I decline to pay and withhold rent until they agree to at least to partially pay?
No you cannot withhold rent just because you disagree with them about something. Rent can be withheld only for very few reasons and must be done in a very specific way. You can read about it here. Austin Tenants’ Council/Tenant-Landlord Fact Sheets
Since you have lived there for 2 years and bedbugs only recently became a problem it is highly likely that you or your guests brought the bed bugs in. If no one else in the complex has had an infestation then its not very likely that the handy men brought them in from another apartment, is it?
Bed bugs are passengers, not immigrants. They won't walk across the street and into your apartment. So, someone had to bring them in. Very common sources are used clothing, mattresses, upholstered furniture, a tenants guest, pets, staying at an infested hotel room..etc. If no other apartments have a problem, it's hard to argue that a handy man introduced them to your unit.
If the LL can prove that it was you, then you have to pay. If no one else is having a problem, then you brought them in. But, again, if this went to court, the court would decide based on the evidence.
Regardless of how you got the bedbugs, it is not a legal reason to withhold rent.
No you cannot withhold rent just because you disagree with them about something. Rent can be withheld only for very few reasons and must be done in a very specific way. You can read about it here. Austin Tenants’ Council/Tenant-Landlord Fact Sheets
Since you have lived there for 2 years and bedbugs only recently became a problem it is highly likely that you or your guests brought the bed bugs in. If no one else in the complex has had an infestation then its not very likely that the handy men brought them in from another apartment, is it?
Handymen can't get it on the bus for example on the way to work?
The management complex mentioned 'no other adjacent units' so I'm not sure my apt is the only unit in the entire complex (above 200 units).
They will of course try to withhold this information anyway no?
If you don't want to pay what you were charged because you don't believe you brought them in to your unit and you don't believe management telling you no other adjacent units have/had an issue….start knocking on your immediate neighbors doors. If they say they never had an issue…what can you do?
Or call up the company that did the extermination and ask them how many other units in your complex they've had to treat.
Have you bothered to Read the Lease? What does it say about Bug Treatments?
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