Ohio

Ohio is a state in the eastern Midwest with a population of 11 million people.

The state is famous for its relevance in American political culture. Voters are evenly split between the Democrat and Republican parties, making Ohio a key state in presidential elections. Ohio has the 2nd-highest number of Presidents born in any given state, with 7 having grown up here.

The state’s economy is reliant on manufacturing machinery. Key exports include electrical components, aircraft parts, and motor vehicles.

It is also plagued by bed bugs, and several Ohio cities rank among those with the worst bed bug infestations in the country.

Bed Bugs in Ohio

If you’ve discovered bed bugs in your Ohio apartment, you’re not alone. 5 cities in Ohio are on the list of the Top 50 Cities infested by bed bugs.

Those cities are:

• Columbus (No. 5)
• Cincinnati (No. 8)
• Cleveland (No. 11)
• Dayton (No. 49)
• Toledo (No. 50)

But this doesn’t mean other cities in Ohio aren’t affected. Bed bugs don’t discriminate: they can infest any environment, regardless of overall sanitation.

Ohio Bed Bug Laws

Ohio has several laws that address pest infestations and the use of pesticides in apartments, and one law that addresses bed bugs.

The Ohio Code 921.06 states that only commercial pesticides regulated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) can be used to exterminate pests in apartments.

Under the code, there’s also the Ohio Pesticide Apartment Law, stating that only licensed pest control professionals can use pesticides in apartments with more than four units.

While the Ohio Landlord-Tenant Act doesn’t explicitly state anything about using pesticides for removing bed bugs and other vermin, it does require landlords to keep their properties in a “fit and habitable condition.” This means there shouldn’t be any pest infestations whatsoever.

Because the law is not clear, many landlords require tenants to pay for all the costs of exterminating pests, such as bed bugs.

However, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), together with the Office of Public and Indian Housing, issued a notice that includes bed bug prevention and infestation control practices. It also contains a list of rules that tenants and Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) must abide by to avoid being liable.

One of those rules requires PHAs to treat a potential bed bug infestation swiftly and effectively. Another important rule is to exclude tenants from the costs of exterminating bed bugs. That doesn’t include any personal property that may need to be replaced.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are tiny, brown insects that feed on human and animal blood. They hide in dark spaces during the day and come out to feed at night.

You can find them in a variety of places: under mattresses and pillows, in box springs and bed frames, behind headboards and around baseboards, inside drawers, behind wallpaper and hanging pictures, and in all sorts of tiny cracks and crevices.

Some of the tell-tale signs of a bed bug infestation include:

• Reddish-brown spots on your bedsheets (they resemble dried blood stains)
• Yellow skin from bed bug shedding
• Bed bug bites on your body

Bed bugs don’t carry diseases, but you may develop an allergic reaction to their bites. Bed bug bites are also very itchy and can even become painful. Scratching them may even lead to an infection.

Bed Bugs in Ohio Apartments

Bed bugs can travel quickly across the rooms of a building, meaning they can spread like wildfire in Ohio apartment complexes.

Unless a landlord takes immediate steps to eliminate them, the bugs can infest all the apartments in a building almost instantly. All tenants would need to seek temporary accommodation until the problem is resolved, which could take weeks.

This could also result in thousands of dollars worth of damage if any personal property is lost due to the infestation.

If you notice bed bugs in your Ohio apartment, notify the landlord immediately, and request professional extermination of the pests.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

The only way to get rid of bed bugs effectively is to let pest control professionals handle it. As you know, the Ohio state laws require licensed professionals to exterminate pests in apartments using EPA-regulated pesticides, so don’t try and do it on your own.

If you have a bed bug infestation in your apartment in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Dayton, get connected with an attorney who might be able to help, as long as your landlord’s negligence led to the infestation.

Please contact us at (855) 733-9217. We can represent you on a pre-litigation basis to help you determine if you are eligible for financial compensation. From there, we will put you in contact with an attorney who will fight for any damages you may be owed.

The consultation is 100% free, and you pay nothing unless your case is won.