Who has responsibility for bug infestation?

We are a condo community. One of our buildings, which houses 15 apartments, has an infestation of carpet beetles.

10 days ago one apartment called in an exterminator who found them. Since then, other residents have done the same and now with 6 apartments checked - all on different floors and sides of the building - all 6 are infested. The other apartments are being checked tomorrow. The inspections are free but the exterminator recommended by management is charging $2,500 to exterminate.

The residents' contention is that the bugs have to get from apartment to apartment through common areas (through walls, hallways, garage, etc.) which is an HOA responsibility, but management claims the exterminator checked the common areas (although they have not supplied proof of same) and they found nothing.

Who is responsible when such a situation takes place? If the entire building is affected, the cost to exterminate just the apartments in the building would be about $35,000, and it appears as if the HOA is perfectly willing to let the residents pay.

Steve

Thanks, Melissa.
However, the problem as I see it is the Offering Plan clearly states that the homeowner's responsibility goes up to the walls, ceilings, and floors. If the bugs are going from floor to floor and one side of the building to the other, then they must, somehow, be using conduits which are supposed to be owned and cared for by the HOA.

I can understand if one apartment has an infestation, it would be that homeowner who would pay, but if the common areas are the way in which the bugs spread the infestation, is not the HOA responsible?
Steve

I can't answer, but the answer should be in your governing documents or also/even in NY state law.

It is not up to individual owners to figure this out as Melissa suggest. As I recall she only has HOA experience in detached homes. I think CA has some states laws re: bugs/termites in condo buildings, but we haven't has the problem so I haven't looked into it.

I agree with Jeff. I can understand something like termites or perhaps raccoons (which could indicate a problem with roofing), but if you're talking about roaches or ants, how do you know the homeowner is or isn't taking steps to reduce the risk of infestation, like tossing out the garbage in a timely manner? What if pests (e.g. bedbugs) hopped onto something belonging to the homeowner and the infestation started that way (in fact, that's how bedbugs travel?)

If homeowners want the association to be responsible, they will have to be willing to pay for it, as Melissa says. Sometimes people think the association has a bottomless pit of money, when everything it pays for comes from - homeowners. These same homeowners then squawk about assessments being "too high."

When I owned an apartment in NYC, there were no NY regulations that addressed the issue of who is responsible for a bug infestation in a condo.
It may be in your governing docs, or it may not be.

With my apartment, the HOA did pay for an exterminating company to come in once a month and do all the apartments. Reason being is because if one apartment had an infestation, it could quickly
become many more apartments which would lead to complaints and it was something they just didn't want to deal with. But, it also wasn't something that they were required to do through any docs.

If you're in NYC, boards and management companies here do not function like in the rest of the country. Most times if they refuse, it's easier, and cheaper, to just pay and have it done yourself.

Good luck.

Our two urban condo towers have our exterior grounds treated every month for roaches, rats, etc.

But when we have other critters inside our condo units, it's the Owner's responsibility as it's very easy to bring in ants, roaches, flies, mosquitos via other means--open doors onto exterior balconies, cartons from big box stores. etc., etc. We even have tiny flies come up our guest bathtub drain if we forget to run water down it monthly. We have silver fish every so often on the edges of the guest bath floor.

I think it is up to the HOA association whether they want to help or not. As HOA is an association they would be having their exterminators to remove bugs from the apartment. If they do not have exterminators, they can also look online for exterminators like Exterminator Millford CT(http://www.yalepest.com/milford-pest-exterminators/), Terminix, Bee Exterminator Cheshire CT, etc. available for their help. First, you tell HOA about the problem and let them decide how can they help you in this case.