Ask Habitat: Must a Board Alert Potential Buyers to Past Bedbug Outbreaks?
June 9, 2014 — A BUYER ASKS: A broker just showed me an apartment in a building that’s perfect for me. Then I did some research and found a website that tracks bedbug infestations — and the perfect building is on the list. What should I do? Should I abandon the apartment? What happens if I do buy it and the bugs come back?
HABITAT ANSWERS: Although doing independent research when buying an apartment is a great way to be informed about your potential home, it can sometimes lead to unfortunate discoveries. Bedbugs (also commonly spelled "bed bugs") are annoying and unpleasant, but they can be dealt with.
First of all, if the infestation happened within the last year, the board is required by law to inform potential buyers about it. If the board does not disclose recent bedbugs, that should be a huge red flag as it could mean one of two things: either the board did not successfully treat the infestation, prompting a disgruntled resident to post the review; or it was trying to hide the infestation in the hopes of not losing a sale — and didn’t anticipate you doing your own research.
Surprise Third Option
There is, however, a secret third option: an unhappy resident (or former resident) who is so upset with the board that he or she posted a fake incident online to hurt the building’s sales. While that’s unlikely and extreme, there’s one surefire way to find out: Ask the board. Even if this isn’t what happened, you should still ask the board why this post exists and why they didn’t disclose it.
See also...
Ultimately, the board has the legal responsibility to deal with bedbugs. Under recent protocol for issuing violations, the city now requires owners and managers of properties where bedbug infestations have been identified to inspect and treat units on either side of, above, and below the bedbug-infested unit; to use a licensed pest control professional to treat the infestation; and to employ a variety of treatment strategies rather than depending on chemical pesticides alone.
As to whether or not you should abandon the unit, that's really up to you. If the board doesn’t disclose that the building had bedbugs, it might not be overly helpful if the bugs reappear. You could deal with it on your own, but in the end, you’re probably better off finding a bedbug-free home.
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