BC Landlords Beware: One Class Action Is On The Rise

As a landlord you not only have a duty of care towards your tenants, but also to protect yourself from litigation brought by tenants with a genuine grievance over their living conditions.

Over the past 5-10 years there has been a rise in the number of lawsuits in Canada related to bed bug infestations not only in hotels but in other types of commercial and residential buildings.

2016: bed and breakfast

• A woman in Ontario filed a lawsuit against a bed and breakfast over a bed bug infestation that she claimed caused her physical and emotional distress.

• The woman alleged that the bed and breakfast knew about the infestation but failed to disclose it to guests, putting their health and safety at risk.

2017: hotel chain

• A family in British Columbia filed a lawsuit against a hotel chain after their stay at a hotel resulted in bed bug bites and the loss of personal property.

• The family claimed that the hotel was negligent in preventing and treating the bed bug infestation, which led to damages and expenses.

2017: subsidized housing complex

• Tenants in a subsidized housing complex in Toronto filed a lawsuit against their landlord over a bed bug infestation that lasted for several years.

• The tenants claimed that the landlord failed to properly treat and eradicate the infestation, causing significant emotional and physical harm.

2018: apartment building

• A group of tenants in an apartment building in Ottawa filed a lawsuit against their landlord over a bed bug infestation that lasted for over a year.

• The tenants claimed that the landlord was aware of the infestation but failed to properly treat it, resulting in physical and emotional harm, as well as property damage.

2020: apartment building

• Tenants in a high-rise apartment building in Montreal filed a class-action lawsuit against their landlord over a bed bug infestation.

• The tenants claimed that the landlord failed to take adequate measures to prevent and eradicate the infestation, leading to significant damage to their personal property and emotional distress.

As a landlord, no good can come from a lawsuit

Lawsuits are costly, time consuming, emotionally draining and even those that eventually win the case will feel exhausted and just wish that the lawsuit wasn't warranted in the first place. In addition to legal fees, landlords are financially impacted by the closure of rooms, offices, or entire buildings. Plus, the reputational damage can last for years and cause long lasting financial pain.

The last resort

When it comes to bed bug infestations, lawsuits really are the last resort with exasperated tenants going down the legal route as a last resort, usually after months or years of negligence suffered at the hands of uncaring and unscrupulous landlords.

Simple duty of care, via a four-legged friend

Landlords can avoid such class action by demonstrating a simple duty of care and when it comes to bed bug infestations, the first thing a landlord can do is to listen to their tenants' concerns, treat it seriously and pick up the phone to dial a specialist bed bug inspection company.

The most effective bed bug detection method are specially trained dogs. Bed bug detection dogs are highly accurate and can identify bed bug infestations even in areas that are difficult for humans to access.

By employing the services of a specialist bed bug detection company the moment a tenant raises the issue, a landlord will be favourably viewed as being proactive and undertaking preemptive measures. Such due diligence will result in goodwill from tenants and reduce the likelihood of a lawsuit being filed.

Time to hire the original and the best

Spot On K9 Detection is a Vancouver based pest control company that exclusively utilizes canine bed bug inspection services to determine whether a residential or commercial building has a bed bug infestation. In fact, owner/operator Marcos Michelet was the first person in BC and Alberta to utilize highly trained sniffer dogs to detect bed bugs.

Therefore, if you are a landlord and have received reports from your tenants about suspected bed bug presence in your property in the lower mainland, please do contact us today on 778-855-6768 or by completing a contact form.