HELP!!! My new apartment is infested with cockroaches what shoudl i do

[YarisSedan]

So me and my girlfriend decided to move into the crossing apartment in milpitas california. Its our first time moving out of home. We dont know anythign about leasing and our rights. We bought all brand new bed and furniture. We go out to buy some groceries and we come back its INFESTED! There are cockroaches on our new sofa. Our new bed the kitchen everywhere. They all start to run cause of the lights. Tomorrow the cable is comming to isntall everything. Right now i had to take my girlfriend home crying cause she cant live there. All the money we spent seems to be to waste.

If anyone can give me any advice what ic an do. Tomorrow i have to work so i cant talk to the building manager. My girlfriend is going to go with her parents. I talked to some neighbors they heard there was some issue with our aparment. They said there was some horrible smell that woudlnt goa way comming from there. ANd when we moved in we noticed there was brand new carpet for some strange reason. Plus i i think i am allergic to the chemicals in the new carpet its giving me allergies. My day turns into one huge long nightmare that i just want to be over.

From what i read online is all the furniture is probally garbage now cause if we move we take the cockroaches with us. When we left the apartment i tried to kill as many as i could visibly see and left every single light on in the apartment to keep them off the furniture.

Oh and to top it all off the bathtub is leaking water. Now i get to pay a huge water bill and electric bill in a place im not even living in. Not to mention thousands of dollas of garbage furniture.

I took all the food that was not refrigeratble and put it in the dryer since it looks like they cant get inside to it there.

This was supose to be me and my girlfriends first place a big leap and joyouse occasion and turned into a total hellish nightmare.

I know everyone hates cockroaches but my girlfriend is dreadfully afraid of them.

I am asking for help if anyone here has any type of legal advice they can help in my situation. Tomorrow i am going to go over the lease papers and see if they is any way ic an break the contract. Even if the bug bomb the place id ont awnt to live there anymore even if they move us to a different apartment int he complex i afraid they might be infested too!

[JBougie]

I don't live in Cali, but according to this site I don't think you are going to have ANY problem getting out of that lease :)

http://www.caltenantlaw.com/breaklease.htm

The Many Legal Reasons to End a Lease

You can legally end the lease for several reasons, one of which may apply in your case. Review the ones that apply to you:
1. Uninhabitable conditions, which only need to affect habitability, not necessarily unlivable, and which may include:
a. Infestations of cockroaches, rats, or other vermin
b. Noxious odors, such as from sewage leaks, mold and mildew, dead rats in the walls, pigeons nesting in the attic
c. Noisy neighbors in your building, or
d. Criminal activity in the building or neighborhood, such as drugs and gangs
2. An illegal unit, such as an illegally converted garage, basement, or attached structure you're living in [a common situation]
3. Government closing down the building, due to:
a. severe illegalities, such as construction without proper building permits, a dangerous structure, and zoning violations
b. fire or other structural damage [red or yellow tagging]
c. earthquake, flooding, or other natural disaster damage [red or yellow tagging], or
d. demolition by the government, such as for Redevelopment goals, eminent domain, tax lien sale, drug-related confiscation
4. Death, severe hospitalization, incarceration, or insanity of the tenant [your legal representative would handle this]
5. Bankruptcy of the tenant [Chapter 7, or abandoning the lease in a Chapter 11 or 13 Bankruptcy proceeding ]
6. The person who rented it to you may not have had the right to do so, because:
a. The person was not the owner, or authorized by the owner, to lease it [a scam used by some con-men]
b. The person was an unlicensed property manager, whose contracts are void [there are many of these]
c. The person was a tenant, who was not authorized to sub-lease or assign the place to you by their rental agreement, or
d. The business entity that is supposed to be your landlord doesn't legally exist [such as a corporation, that isn't one]

[YarisSedan]

Thank you so much i am reading that link you sent me now. Tomorrow i am bringing my digital camera and taking pictures of all the cockroaches. Do you think i should be able to get reimburshed for all my expenses. I am stuck with a contract with comcast as well too. Not to mention PGE I think and everythign else. I am out so much money. Plus all my moving expensess. If i go to small claims court it will take forever to recover my expenses.

My last job the business closed down and the employeer never payed me my last check i filed unpaid wages claim over a year ago and i am still awaiting a hearing.

[YarisSedan]

I think im goign to call the building and health inspector. I want to get them back for all the pain they caues for my girlfriend. When i see the person i love hurt and im helpless to do anything. I am so angry frustrated and upset. Someone has to pay.

[PETERPOOP]

bug bombs?

[JBougie]

I don't think you'll be able to immediately get any kind of reimbursement - and honestly, I don't know how they would handle that ... it's kinda of one of those things like 'if it's that bad, how did you not notice upon initial inspection?' which - I can tell you I would have done the same thing with my first apartment because the excitement is just there and you take a quick look and everything is fine. They also probably went through and had all the lights on, etc. so they were all hiding at the time you did the walk-through on the apartment.

It's a pretty crappy situation, but hopefully you can prove that they KNEW about the problem (talk to neighbors - they might be able to help your case) and then get some kind of cash back for all the furniture that I would hope you now throw in the trash bombs probably won't get cockroach eggs out of soda cushions *shiver*

I wish you the absolute best of luck with this situation - they really should be ashamed of themselves allowing someone to move into an apartment like that!! I also feel bad for your girl, because bugs creep me the F out :( So I can only imagine what I would do coming home and being greeted by roaches .. ohhh isshhh

[JBougie]

bug bombs?

http://www.killsbugsdead.com/fogger/ :wink:

[YarisSedan]

either way id ont think i could live there. I am allergic to smells and chemicals. Even the detergent i use to wash my clothes has to be free of dyes and perfurmes. Plus i dont want chemicals spraying all over my bed and kitchen where i eat. And from what i ready its hard to kil lthe eggs. They will stil lcome back.

[JBougie]

They can live through a nuclear bombing lol, I am pretty sure they can live through Raid foggers. I would highly suggest not going back there - screw them. Make sure you do really deep inspections in the future though to try and avoid this from happening again. The neighbors may want to keep a heads up also, because they will get into the walls and before they know it the entire complex will be infested. We had some nasty ass people living below us and they had roaches from their last apartment and brought them to our building - and we live in a very nice complex, so thankfully when they came to do the regular inspection of the fire alarms their apartment was one of the randomly selected and they were horrified to see their apartment and the friends they brought along with them. They put everyone in our building in a hotel for the weekend and had the exterminators clean house because they said if they didn't act immediately they could have engulfed the whole building.

So yeah .... move and never look back. Well, don't look back after they give you your money back and let you out of your lease! If they are pricks about it, threaten to go to the media and get the BBB on their backsides ... that might change their tone lol

[yaris-me]

The infestation is probably behind the walls. That is hard to destroy without persistence. The neighbors might also be a breeding ground. If it's a multistory building, the plumbing might be the conduit for the roaches. Call in a professional exterminator and make sure there is a written guarantee.:frown:

[Nigal]

Because it's a multi unit building bombing your place will not work. The whole building has to be bombed which most managers don't want to do. If you do move make sure you bomb your furniture and make absolutely sure there are no live bugs in anything you own. Otherwise your next place will end up infested.

[DandiDani]

That is terrible. I had fleas in the first apt. we moved into...we couldnt figure out where all these little bites we had kept coming from.:help:the apartment manager sent someone out to take care of it. At the apartment I live in now there was ants and they took care of it the next day. I would listen to jbougie and try to get out of that lease. I would not want to be paying for a place that was inhabitable.:thumbdown:I hope everything gets better for you. Keep us updated!

[BailOut]

either way id ont think i could live there. I am allergic to smells and chemicals. Even the detergent i use to wash my clothes has to be free of dyes and perfurmes. Plus i dont want chemicals spraying all over my bed and kitchen where i eat. And from what i ready its hard to kill the eggs. They will still come back.
There are effective, non-toxic ways to deal with roaches, but the first thing I think you need to do is try to calm down. I know this has been a stressful experience for both you and your girlfriend, but roaches are simply a part of life all around the world. I know it is emotionally difficult to see someone you care about in distress but one of your responsibilities in a relationship is crisis control. You need to use or develop the ability to divorce yourself from your emotions just long enough to make some logical decisions, and to enact a clear way to carry those decisions out.

Rather than give up on your first home together, and lose all of the money you've invested, I say fight for it. Roaches are hardy and they are plentiful but they don't have opposing thumbs and a big brain capable of abstract thought. Let's use our advantages to secure your home.

1. Clean the space thoroughly. Pull the stove and refrigerator out. Get the window sills. Get the corners where the carpet meets the base boards. Get under couch cushions and mattresses. Leave not a crumb of food out for the roaches. Remember that a roach can live off of the oil from your fingerprint for several days. It's time to be anal.

2. Now that you've taken away their food source you also need to take away their water source. Repair any leaks or standing water issues. You already know the bathtub leaks but be sure to check all the sinks and toilets as well.

3. Seal every entry/exit point from your space. Get a $3 tube of caulk and go crazy with it. Get a $10 roll of metal screen, some $15 tin snips and a $7 stapler and go nuts behind the cabinets and appliances.

4. Mix sugar (it is best to use real sugar made from cane juice rather than the hyper-refined white stuff) 1:1 with baking soda. Once thoroughly mixed place this concoction anywhere you've ever seen a roach, but especially where you think they are coming from or going to. The sugar attracts them and the baking soda disrupts their digestive system, dehydrating them to death. They will share some of the powder with other roaches where they live.

5. Fill an empty spray bottle about three-fourths of the way full with lukewarm water, then add 3 tbsp. of liquid dish soap. Screw the top back on and shake until the water and soap are combined. Whenever you spot a roach, spray it a few times with the soap-and-water mixture. This only works on the roach you sprayed but it gives you a proactive way to fight while you wait for the baking soda to do its damage.

6. Stay vigilant. It will likely take at least a week to fight off the infestation. As the space is an apartment and your neighbors likely don't care, the roaches will find ways to return from time to time. Keep everything super clean and keep your soap bottle and baking soda mix at the ready.

It's time to get 'er done. :cool:

[YarisSedan]

the furniture i have like tables decks and stuff should be okay right. Just the stuff like chairs that has fabric where they can crawl down under where they we can see and lay eggs. It is a multi tier place and we are on the third floor. And i dont htink they just flew and went into our place.

Talking to some of the other tentants they sad there was one particular place that had a horrible smell comming form it. And they couldnt get rid of it. Eventually they replaced all the carpetining and had some professinoal cleaning. But i guess thats the place we got stuck with. And i think you are right theya re in the walls. I saw one little one crawl into a crack in the wall. I think maybe they tried to bug bomb the place already previousely and ofcourse it only killed some. It didnt get the ones int he walls. And if even one survives they will still come back. I dont like the idea of having to bug bomb a brand new bed i havent even got to sleep on yet. I would want it to be replaced at thier cost if i have to move. Andt hey should have to pay for my early cancelation fee for breaking my contcast contract.

[YarisSedan]

There are effective, non-toxic ways to deal with roaches, but the first thing I think you need to do is try to calm down. I know this has been a stressful experience for both you and your girlfriend, but roaches are simply a part of life all around the world. I know it is emotionally difficult to see someone you care about in distress but one of your responsibilities in a relationship is crisis control. You need to use or develop the ability to divorce yourself from your emotions just long enough to make some logical decisions, and to enact a clear way to carry those decisions out.

Rather than give up on your first home together, and lose all of the money you've invested, I say fight for it. Roaches are hardy and they are plentiful but they don't have opposing thumbs and a big brain capable of abstract thought. Let's use our advantages to secure your home.

1. Clean the space thoroughly. Pull the stove and refrigerator out. Get the window sills. Get the corners where the carpet meets the base boards. Get under couch cushions and mattresses. Leave not a crumb of food out for the roaches. Remember that a roach can live off of the oil from your fingerprint for several days. It's time to be anal.

2. Now that you've taken away their food source you also need to take away their water source. Repair any leaks or standing water issues. You already know the bathtub leaks but be sue to check all the sinks and toilets as well.

3. Seal every entry/exit point from your space. Get a $3 tube of caulk and go crazy with it. Get a $10 roll of metal screen, some $15 tin snips and a $7 stapler and go nuts behind the cabinets and appliances.

4. Mix sugar (it is best to use real sugar made from cane juice rather than the hyper-refined white stuff) 1:1 with baking soda. Once thoroughly mixed place this concoction anywhere you've ever seen a roach, but especially where you think they are coming from or going to. The sugar attracts them and the baking soda disrupts their digestive system, dehydrating them to death. They will share some of the powder with other roaches where they live.

5. Fill an empty spray bottle about three-fourths of the way full with lukewarm water, then add 3 tbsp. of liquid dish soap. Screw the top back on and shake until the water and soap are combined. Whenever you spot a roach, spray it a few times with the soap-and-water mixture. This only works on the roach you sprayed but it gives you a proactive way to fight while you wait for the baking soda to do its damage.

6. Stay vigilant. It will likely take at least a week to fight off the infestation. As the space is an apartment and your neighbors likely don't care, the roaches will find ways to return from time to time. Keep everything super clean and keep your soap bottle and baking soda mix at the ready.

It's time to get 'er done. :cool:


The way i l0ook at it though i live in so called luxury apartments ina gated community. I am not paying extra money to live in aggrivation. I rather tame my money and live someplace cheaper and not have to live like this. I havent evne moved in half our stuff and having to fight cockroaches to me is not something i want to live with. I work very long and literall backbreaking work as a mechanic sometimes wheni get home the only thing i want to do it lay in bed and recoupe for the next day. Not have to deal with cockroaches running all over the place. Geting into my food and crawling all over the dishes i drink and eat out of.

Its the landlords responsibility to have the place properly cleaned ready for the new tenants not mine.

[yaris-me]

BailOut, I think you mean Boric Acid, not Baking Soda.

[DandiDani]

I agree.It's their job...not yours

[Yaris Hilton]

Besides, the carpet change and bad odor could be from a horrible murder that occurred in there...

[Bob Dog]

or some old person who died and CSIed on thefloor

[BailOut]

BailOut, I think you mean Boric Acid, not Baking Soda.

No, I definitely meant baking soda. While slower than boric acid it does indeed work, and the OP mentioned a chemical sensitivity. Aside from that there are new studies that show boric acid to be much more harmful to mammals than originally thought.

[YarisSedan]

Okay so kinda a update they sent some exterminator and bug bombed the entire apartment with that toxic gas. We came back in a few hours later and then took photos of al lthe dead termites that crawled out. ANd had the landlord come out to look at it. We may stay but set out bait traps every week for a month to see if any come back. And have there be a seperate agreement added tot he lease that if cockroaches come back we can leave without penalty of breaking lease agreement.

As well as to be compensated for all our extra expenses such as buying plastic coverings for our furniture before the bombing, extra cleaning supplies anything that was out of pocket that shouldnt hav ebeen as a result of the infestation.

[Yaris Hilton]

Termites?! :eek:

[ddongbap]

Termites?! :eek:

AWKWARD....

[Shroomster]

termites sounds right as nearly all the aprtments/condos, whatever, going up are plywood and beams. Only thing concrete are the slabs for the foundation & the A/c units.

[YarisSedan]

oh sorry when i was writing this it was late at night and was tired i was thinking cockroaches for some reason but typed termites.

[contraband831]

well you can go to Project Sentinel, and they will advise you of your rights, as a tenant. I used them before with the families i work with (I am a State Social Worker) and they help out a lot.

Here is there website:
Project Sentinel (http://www.housing.org/tenant_landlord_definition.htm)

[supmet]

I agree with Bailout. Seal your apartment with caulk and spackle, and keep everything clean. I would also check the condition of the carpet pad. Just because they replace the carpet doesn't necessarily mean they changed the pad.

[JBougie]

You guys put up with a lot more than I would :) lol

[YarisSedan]

i sent a letter to project sentinal. Thanks for all the information and help. I feel much better now and less worried that i know which agencys to contact and my rights now as a tenant.

Also I will be now more prepared for my next apartment as i may be renting for awile till i can afford my first house.