Bed bugs in new Tennessee apartment
My girlfriend and I signed a lease less than a week ago for an apartment in our state, Tennessee. Yesterday while moving some kitchen stuff in we found what appears to be bed bugs, r/whatbugisthis agreed they were bed bugs, and I called the landlord. I told him of the problem and he said to leave one of the dead ones in a bag and he would call their pest control company to be out around Tuesday to spray.
The problem is, everything I'm seeing online says bed bug treatment is a months-long process. The landlord says they can spray once and they'll all be dead. I don't really buy it.
If they are confirmed to be bed bugs, which I'm 90% sure of, can I terminate the lease? Tennessee doesn't seem to have a law one way or the other. Is the landlord allowed to terminate the lease for bed bugs?
Also, I paid $770, $400 deposit and $370 for the first two weeks rent up front. How much of that would I get back if the lease was terminated? Does it make a difference that I haven't moved in or payed the first rent payment?
We haven't moved my bed or her couch in yet, nor any of our clothes or other things that would be affected, so I'm not looking to recoup damages. Ideally I would just like my money back so we can find a different place.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance
Posted May 29, 2016, 8:21 PM UTC