Jeepers creepers! Letting agents warned to be ready for bedbug invasion
Inventory clerks say regular property inspections can alert owners to bedbugs before the problem gets out of control.
Landlords and letting agents should get ready to fend off a bedbug invasion with regular inspections, inventory clerks have warned.
A Paris-style ‘bedbug’ influx could be avoided, the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) says, if landlords and agents take the necessary precautions.
Vital
Daniel Evans, chair of the AIIC, says dealing with any infestation early was vitally important.
“The risk with rented properties is that the owner isn’t on the premises very often.
No property is safe from pests”.
“It could be a few weeks before a tenant realises that the property has been infested, and by then the problem will be far worse,” he says.
“No property is safe from pests – but the earlier you can tackle the problem, the better.”
Infestations
Recent national newspaper reports suggested that Manchester, Leicester, Bristol and London have the worst bedbug problem in the UK, but other cities like Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow also had higher than average infestations.
According to the NHS, bedbugs can make their homes in sofas, curtains, behind pictures and under wallpaper, as well as in mattresses.
“A thorough inspection at check-in can ensure that the property is safe before tenants move in and regular checks throughout the rental term can ensure the home is free from bedbugs and other pests that infest properties like rats, mice or cockroaches,” Evans says.
‘Real concern’
London Mayor, Sadiq Khan has said that the possibility of bedbugs on the London Underground was a source of “real concern”.
He said he had been in touch with officials in Paris after the city became overwhelmed by a bedbug infestation.
