Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have lived in this studio apt for 3 years. As far as I know the landlord (actually the husband more than the wife-something about the way she looks at me makes me uncomfortable but still we seem to get along) likes me, I always get buzzed into the lobby by them when carrying heavy packages and have never had any problems. Never late on rent payments. The super gets along with me and I tip him for odd jobs he does. This afternoon when I was checking my mail the landlord's wife told me there were complaints of roaches coming from my apartment, claimed I lived like a "pig" and told me I needed to hire a cleaning service once a month. I explained to her I used the roach sprays as well as their extermination service for the problem but she said it wasn't good enough. She claimed they were coming from the stove; actually the bulk of the problem comes from the area under the sink. She claimed the problem wasn't there when I moved in but actually it was. The building has a big problem with roaches and that's no lie. On their floor just about every tenant has traps outside their apt door. She told me that if this doesn't change they are going to evict me. I didn't raise my voice or fight with her, we just left it at that.
I agree I am deficient in some of my housekeeping tasks. I don't clean the floors enough or dust enough so the bulk of the mess problem is dust and caked on dust and grime. It's a studio so it's cluttered. I don't know if that attracts them or not. But I am very very meticulous with throwing out trash and it seems that's all I seem to do is throw out trash. So I never have wet trash piling up. Lots of dry trash piling up but I get rid of those regularly. Maybe that attracts them. maybe i have too many paper bags lying around. I could stand to clean the sink better and clean the stove of it's crumbs more often, I'll agree with that.
At my last apt before this the super there complained to me that i needed to straighten up the apt "it's a wreck" he said. A neighbor of mine who was on the board came in to look at the apt when i asked his opinion and he told me it was just cluttered but no big deal. I remember the management bombed the 5th and 6th floors using a special method and the roaches were gone for good. No one ever complained to me again.
So yes, it's true I'm not a good housekeeper and yes i can do more sprayings and keep the sink clean and dry and the stove clean of crumbs. But now i don't know what to do or where to turn.
You know, I don't think they have the right to be getting on your case about this. If you were the only one who had roaches that would be one thing and since you're not I don't think they have that right.
Another thing is that you are in a studio apt. If you have stuff cluttered, that is also your business. If you were living in filth, that would be one thing but just being cluttered is another thing.
You remind me of being single and renting. I didn't have a roach problem but I had a alot of stuff and my landlords didn't like it. So naturally I have to side w/ you. If you pay your rent and clean, which I also did, clutter is clutter, stuff is stuff, that isn't the same as being dirty.
I'm on your side. I give you a lot of credit for being nice.
thanks. if you want to see more responses to this you can go to the city boards under ny city. i posted the same thing until i saw this board. other posters said yeah i maybe should clean and disinfect and spray but they all pretty much say i should not tolerate that from her. and the thing is they think i should tell her husband about it because he may not even know she said this to me
yes, i can vacuum and wash the floor and most importantly i can dry out the sink more often and clean up crumbs but i really think the infestation is under the sink and has little to do with the messiness of the apt
what proof will she have that roaches are coming out of my apt? all those on her floor have traps outside their apts. i have seen roaches in the hallway, not a lot, maybe one or two at the most.
why is she telling this to me now? the bldg has always had a roach problem and the problem was there when i moved in.
sometimes i think it';s the religious fanatic lady across the hall from me(she won't ride in the elevator with me for some reason) who may have peeked in and seen the mess
will a loose accusation that my messy apartment is causing roaches cut it in court? doesn't a housing court judge know precisely what causes a roach infestation?
can she really make me hire a cleaning service? i can't afford that every month
No one can make you hire a cleaning lady, that is ridiculous. I don't know how they do stuff in NYC but in court they cannot just say you have roaches. It doesn't work like that. Nor can they just come into your apt. Unless it is an emergency can they enter your home. While you are paying rent, It is your home! Make sure you always pay on etime and if they need to come in, clean before they come in but it's your home. You don't have to dust! Dust isn't what causes roaches.
Even if you did clean, if there were roaches next door, they would be in your place anyway no matter what you do. Roaches are like that.
what i can control is i can keep the sink dry and clean at all times; i can clean the floors around the sink and stove as well as keep the stove crumb free; i can spray underneath the sink and use the gels; i can stop hoarding paper bags because those may attract them. beyond this i don't have any power to improve the situation
short of those however i don't believe the messiness and clutter is causing the infestation and i am not obliged to hire a service. if they have an issue with it they can have it when and if i leave. my other landlord charged me a cleaning fee because, though i left the old place broom clean, there was too much caked on dust and grime
this topic i did see something about how a tenant can be considered to be creating a nuisance when they keep the apt in condition that attracts roaches, but how on earth can they prove it? What are they going to do take pictures of the roaches? the floors may be dirty and dusty, but it may be something within the sink area that is causing the infestation?
do you think someone came in to the apt when i wan't home? she tells me the rocahes were by the stove, but that's where you would find them is in the kitchen area. how did she know that's where they were? the super was up here a few times. maybe he told her?
I noticed you said they came from under the sink. Is there a leak, even a minute one that might go unnoticed? They will show up anywhere they can find water, and tiny leaks are enough.
As for clutter, it does give them a hiding place, and they DO eat any organic material. So yeah, I'd lose the paper bags and if you are storing things in cardboard boxes, try and switch to plastic. Roaches love paper/clothes lying around. They'll hide in it and eat it. They can live off of NOTHING, so yes, while clutter doesn't "cause" the problem it can help them to stick around. Removing their hiding spaces, food and water sources are the best way to help them move along, but usually pest control is needed too.
Like others have said, if you have roaches, the other tenants most likely do too.. and if they have an exterminator service coming it doesn't mean they're using a GOOD one.
I lived in public housing (yes, the projects) many years ago and the roach problem was BAD. It didn't matter what we did, how often we used roach baits or sprays or whatever because if it wasn't a community effort then they'd just come right back from the next apartment over. The landlady had a "service" come once every other month and I KNOW the guy was spraying water. Why wouldn't he?? Charged for a true pesticide and sprayed water.. because the landlady would just blame any remaining roaches on the tenants anyway, and refused to consider that maybe she needed to fire the pest control guy. I never saw a single dead roach after he sprayed and I could sit within 2 feet of him when he sprayed... (this was the early 90's)... and I am highly sensitive to anything chemical (get migraines) so I know he was ripping off the landlady but she wouldn't listen.
Is the stove yours? Just wondering if it's clean underneath/behind it. They may very well be living off THAT, if it was there for years.
Also the pan under the fridge, check to make sure it's not full of water.
Basically I'd do what I could to eliminate any food/water sources if I were you and keep the stuff off the floor but I'd bet it is a building-WIDE problem and that sounds like something that is usually the landlady or landlord's responsibility.
PS, DM me if you want my recommendation on EXCELLENT pest control products. Many of the commonly available store products don't work that well as they have developed immunities to it.
thanks, there's nothing in the lease about pest control, but the fact that an exterminator comes every month shows who is responsible
in fact there's nothing in the lease about this particular problem and the only things remotely in there have to do with "creating a nuisance" and "objectionable conduct" which she is obviously trying to get me on
i'm expecting that with my next rent bill that will be put under my door on the 30th there might be some type of "notice of cure"--ie to fix the problem by a certain date
how is she going to prove that the problem was or wasn't fixed?
the fact that she told me that my use of sprays and gels wasn't enough was like her admitting that the infestation is very bad
my company is having an audit and my dad is in the hospital. i don't know why she doesn't even have the decency to ask me if this was a good time for that.
I noticed you said they came from under the sink. Is there a leak, even a minute one that might go unnoticed? They will show up anywhere they can find water, and tiny leaks are enough.
As for clutter, it does give them a hiding place, and they DO eat any organic material. So yeah, I'd lose the paper bags and if you are storing things in cardboard boxes, try and switch to plastic. Roaches love paper/clothes lying around. They'll hide in it and eat it. They can live off of NOTHING, so yes, while clutter doesn't "cause" the problem it can help them to stick around. Removing their hiding spaces, food and water sources are the best way to help them move along, but usually pest control is needed too.
Like others have said, if you have roaches, the other tenants most likely do too.. and if they have an exterminator service coming it doesn't mean they're using a GOOD one.
I lived in public housing (yes, the projects) many years ago and the roach problem was BAD. It didn't matter what we did, how often we used roach baits or sprays or whatever because if it wasn't a community effort then they'd just come right back from the next apartment over. The landlady had a "service" come once every other month and I KNOW the guy was spraying water. Why wouldn't he?? Charged for a true pesticide and sprayed water.. because the landlady would just blame any remaining roaches on the tenants anyway, and refused to consider that maybe she needed to fire the pest control guy. I never saw a single dead roach after he sprayed and I could sit within 2 feet of him when he sprayed... (this was the early 90's)... and I am highly sensitive to anything chemical (get migraines) so I know he was ripping off the landlady but she wouldn't listen.
Is the stove yours? Just wondering if it's clean underneath/behind it. They may very well be living off THAT, if it was there for years.
Also the pan under the fridge, check to make sure it's not full of water.
Basically I'd do what I could to eliminate any food/water sources if I were you and keep the stuff off the floor but I'd bet it is a building-WIDE problem and that sounds like something that is usually the landlady or landlord's responsibility.
PS, DM me if you want my recommendation on EXCELLENT pest control products. Many of the commonly available store products don't work that well as they have developed immunities to it.
[+] Rate this post positively
**...that i didn't even think of but suspected anyway.
Last year there was a leak in a pipe under the sink but the super fixed it. But they still are infested in the sink/cabinet area. Maybe it's still there
The stove is old and has to be started with a match--no auto pilot light by turning a switch and believe it or not this is legitimate, i checked this out already with the rent control office. if the problem is in back of the stove, they would have to disconnect it from the gas line so we could get back there
The fridge pan is indeed full of water and needs to be emptied. this will be the third time since November that i had to empty it. in November the freezer would not open because of ice buildup and i had to spend an entire day thawing out the freezer and fridge
we're not public housing but we're supervised by a public agency--the rent control office
About the extermination service, I doubt it's good, were in the Bronx, NY, nothing is good here!!!
Is it possible the exterminator guy told the landlord about my apt?
About the pest control products I'd be interested if they weren't much more expensive than the commercially available products that you say aren't that great.
Great advice!
Worse than the problem itself is her attitude. Now I feel like i have to take the stairs to avoid her, and if i ever had to pay the rent late (hasn't happened yet but it did at my old place a few times) she might become a real b****
Well I'm going to resolve what i can by keeping the sink dry and cleaning around the stove area and spraying but I don't know what else to do other than that...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When i googled...
