Daily Archives: August 18, 2015

Aside from the overuse of the words reasonable and unreasonable with no detailed explanation, as laws and lawyers tend to do, Maines new legislation regarding landlord-tenant obligations as they pertain to bed bugs is pretty detailed and comprehensive, with very short response times to every action that the landlord or tenant must take-along the lines of 5 days for a landlord to make a physical inspection after being notified of the infestation, 10 days thereafter to have a pest control operator on the scene. It doesnt say what is considered reasonable notice for the landlord to give the tenant to come onto the premises but I imagine it isnt much different than the 48 hours that we in the Bay Area enjoy. Read all about it in this blog post by Shankman & Associates Legal Center.

What is interesting is that the landlord is given the right to force the tenant to comply with treatments. If the tenant does not comply, the landlord can come in and do the work for the tenant and charge fees. Woe! Thats pretty hardcore. Given that the burden of the cost of treatment still lies with the landlord, I agree, uncooperative tenant should get his home taken over and then handed a bill. But what if the tenant doesnt agree with the method of treatment?

In San Francisco, as Ive cited a couple of times, there is a clause that requires landlords to use non-chemical treatments if feasible. I dont know if Maines new legislation specifies the same, but I highly doubt it. Also, even with this clause, it is well known that most landlords usually do not foot the bill for the more expensive thermal remediation or eco-friendly pest control operator. So what will happen if a tenant agrees to treatment but not the kind that the landlord chooses? It would be great if Shankman & Associates can answer that for us.

Read the original:
Maine Draws up New Bed Bug Law, Title 14 M.R.S.A. 6021-A ...