(UPDATE – during the COVID-19 pandemic some tenants informed us that they are experiencing an increase in pest infestation of roaches and bed bugs. In addition, there are also complaints about rodents (rats & mice). Tenants should submit a request to the Landlord for ‘pest control’ services to deal with this concern.) Refer to this link: https://www.terminix.com/blog/diy/the-eight-best-ways-to-get-rid-of-mice/
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Tenants are becoming more concerned with the increased infestation of cockroaches and bedbugs. Deterioration of a building as well as substandard maintenance facilitate the spread of pests through shared walls and vents that are not well sealed. In addition, tenants who scavenge for discarded items that are likely pest infected do contribute to this increased infestation problem by taking those scavenged items back to their units.
Tenants have the option to resolve this infestation problem by submitting a written complaint to their landlord/superintendent and request an exterminator be hired to eliminate the pest infestations. Some tenants also choose to purchase ‘off the shelf’ bedbug deterrents or sprays which are somewhat effective. Many tenants who purchase ‘cockroach houses’ or ‘glue boards’ from outlets that sell household items confirm that these items are effective in reducing or eliminating cockroach infestation.
Here are some tips to deal with cockroach and bed bug infestation:
Keep Cockroaches Away With Peppermint Oil
https://lifehacker.com/keep-cockroaches-away-with-peppermint-oil-1786505109
Kill Roaches with Baking Soda and sugar
https://pest.tips.net/T003494_Kill_Roaches_with_Baking_Soda_and_Sugar.html
How To Keep Roaches Out Of Your Apartment Using These 8 Surprisingly Effective Hacks
https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-keep-roaches-out-of-your-apartment-using-these-8-surprisingly-effective-hacks-9426154
Bedbug infestation
The ‘bed bug’ problem has become such a serious health issue that many reports in the media refer to this infestation as an epidemic.
Tenants affected by a ‘bed bug’ infestation should not try to resolve this problem by themselves. Check these links below:
Toronto Bedbug Exterminator – Questions and Answers
https://www.addisonpestcontrol.com/bed-bug-questions-and-answers
Here is a media report on efforts to deal with bed bug infestation:
Ontario declares $5 million war on bedbugs
http://www.thestar.com/news/bedbugs/article/918775–ontario-declares-5-million-war-on-bedbugs?bn=1
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GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
Bed bugs and how do I get rid of them?
Bedbugs: How do I get rid of them?
Federation of Metro Tenants Associations (FMTA)
You can access extensive information on ‘tenants rights’ at this link:
Guide To Tenants Rights
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PLEASE NOTIFY US IF ANY OF THE LINKS ARE INACTIVE
East York Tenants Group 
165 Barrington avenue is full of these roaches and bedbugs. For far too long managements has allowed tenants to bring in furniture discarded by tenants that moved out and also stacked from around the streets. This furniture has bedbugs and cockroaches. Units are sprayed by pest control then these critters disappear for a while but then they come back. The reason is that this building is old, has too many crevices and cracks in the units and that allows these critters to move easily from unit to unit. So how do we ever get rid of these roaches and bedbugs????
Not a bad idea to have a clause in the lease prohbiting tenants from bringing discarded items from garbage or the curb to their units. That practice contributes to bug infestation and according to the press was the cause of that terrible fire on Wellesley. Equally as important I believe that tenants need more cooperation from supers and building management to act promptly when any bug infestation is reported. The stress associated with bed bugs definitely impacts your emotional well-being. These links from FMTA provide helpful inofrmation to deal with bed bug infestation…
Click to access bed%20bug%20infestations%20-%20rights%20and%20responsibilities.pdf
Click to access bed%20bug%20protocols%20for%20landlords.pdf
Tenants need to be educated properly on how to handle this problem. I am still waiting to see if that recent private member’s bill by MPP Cheri DiNovo will result in action to get landlords to address horrible problem.
I am of the same opionion as JF that there should be a clause in leases forbidding tenants from bringing cast-off furniture etc/ into apartments. A few days ago we saw a number of mattresses being sprayed by building managenent in the building next door. Scary …. that is much too close to home. So many tenants keep bringing discarded broken down items from the street to their unit and others feel proud that they are ‘recyclying’, never mind that they could be bringing bed bugs to the building!! Others are delighited they are getting ‘free stuff’. Recycling is good but given the bug bug problem this scavenging poses a health hazard. According to reports in the media that recent fire that started at the Wellesley building began on the balcony of a tenant who had loads of stuff stored there. So we are looking at both ‘safety’ and ‘health’ issues!
Why isn’t there a clause in the rental lease agreement that makes bringing garbage from the street to your unit a violation of that agreement? This seems to be more of a cultural thing. Many people from certain cultures continually bring all kinds of broken down furniture and other cast off items into the building to use (or to store) in their unit. Some tenants suggest that they re-sell these items. They even retrieve broken down bits and pieces of horrible decrepit furniture that departing tenants have thrown out. The rear of my building is always overflowing with all kinds of garbage that tenants have collected from the streets. It is like a huge garbage dump out there. I notice that at a later date when these tenants decide they no longer want the items they put them back outside. What kind of people are these? Recycling is a great idea but this is not. They make me feel as if I am living in a garbage dump. Surely this behaviour contributes to the spread of ‘BED BUGS’ not to mention cockroaches and heavens know what other pests or maybe disease. This behaviour by tenants should be listed as a violation of the tenancy agreement.