Can I sue for roaches?

Question

I recently moved into an apartment and I saw a couple of roaches before I even had food in there. It has been vacant since February. I moved in July 9. Since I found the first 2, I bought bait traps and borax, laid them out and I have only found 1 dead roach after that. This was 5 days ago and no more sightings (even at 2am searching cabinets etc).

Thing is I had never seen a roach and under further investigation, I pulled up some shelf lining I covered the shelves with the day I moved in. Stuck to the bottom of one (that I just laid down bc it was too high for me to see) was not only roach droppings, but also the sheddings. By our sink cabinet, I found an old dead one. This to me indicates a prior infestation (I mean we are talking a LOT of droppings) The apartment said nothing about this, but I can't live here comfortably.

I start dental school next week and I fear I won't be able to concentrate... my full effort for the past week has gone towards preventing them.

Answer 1

Call your landlord. You can't sue for roaches - unless you give him/her the opportunity to clear up the problem and it doesn't get taken care of. Do not call the exterminator yourself without your landlord's consent.

I take it this is your first apartment? You may have no food in your apartment and no roaches - but your neighbor might. Infestations don't limit themselves to one unit. (Agree with first poster - rent "Joe's Apartment" and watch it. It's a funny movie.)

If everyone renting living quarters could sue for roaches, rats, fleas or any other infestation - there would be no landlords and no living spaces for you to rent!

Answer 2

In California by law you have a month to break the lease and move.
So if I were you I would count my loses and move and demand to have my deposit back or threaten to sue.
Take lots of pictures of the roaches you find and anything else you can get on film because the landlord may lie and say that there were never any roaches that you just changed your mind because you found a better place to live.
Roaches carry diseases and get into virtually everything.
A nurse called anonymously on a morning radio talk show and said that a child was brought into the hospital where she works with pain in her mouth and it turned out to be roaches hatching.
Apparently a roach had gotten into the child's mouth while she was asleep and laid eggs in her cheeks and when the eggs hatched it caused severe pain to the child.

Roaches are absolutely disgusting.

And the rule is this.
For every roach that you see there's a thousand that you don't see.

When you move out make sure you clean everything especially your sofa and bed because they like to nest in those and your television and stereo is the perfect hiding place for roaches.
In fact it might be best to rent a storage for your stuff and keep everything in it for a few weeks before you move all of it into your new place.
Wash all of your clothes after leaving your apartment at a laundromat then take them to your new place.
You can buy a gadget that you plug into an electrical outlet that emits a high pitched frequency sound that only roaches hear but you don't and keep one plugged in every room of your new place after you move in.
The sound hurts their ears so bad that they leave and stay away.
You can buy them at Target,Home Depot and Orchard Hardware Supply and even through the mail.
They work very well I use one no matter what.

You can also call fair housing and talk to someone about it and see what your tenants rights are.

Good luck and Godspeed.

Answer 3

Yikes!

Try to get help from your landlord. Perhaps a professional should be brought in to handle the problem.

If nothing works, there should be some type of tenants' advocate in your area. Check around. Is there an apartment association for owners? That would help.

Here we have a very effective system called Project Sentinel, which can give you great advice and lead you to the right places.

I am sure you have the right to withhold rent if you do not get help and your landlord refuses to comply with his/her duties. Check on that for your area.

I wish you well!

Answer 4

That is apartment life. Ask the apartment manager how often they treat for them. If all you are seeing is old evidence of them, they probably have treated the problem. Keep trying to prevent them, and get rid of any self-stick(contact paper) that you used to line the shelves with. That stuff is like candy to the roaches and will attract them.

Answer 5

Yes, you can sue for roaches, but how will they spend the money?
That is appartment living. If someone next door goes to the store and brings some home in the bag, all you can do is deal with it.
But you should call your landlord and ask them if they spray for bugs monthly.

Answer 6

Suing won't help your roach problem or your concentration problem either, just call an exterminator and let your landlord know that you have done that and that he will pick up the tab or you will take it out of your rent next month.

Answer 7

You can sue for a rent abatement based on the shabby conditions (in legal terminology- breach of warranty of habitabilty) in your apartment. But, as other have already suggested, you must notify your landlord first and give him/her and opportunity to "cure", that is, correct the problem.

Answer 8

Don't sue, but do tell them about the problem and they have a certain amount of time to get rid of the problem or you can get out of your lease. This is why it is important to inspect every square inch of a house or apartment when renting.

Answer 9

Dont do others what you dont choose others to do unto you...Its a solid factor accusing somebody is often against the regulation...i think of freddie roach is scared that marquez could KO %LOL...

Answer 10

No you can't sue unless your landlord refuse to solve the problem.

Call the landlord or move. I don't see how suing will help you to "concentrate"; a sue is long and very fastidious fight.