The following is a call to action sent out by the Triangle Apartment Association today requesting that all landlords act to support the Bed Bug Bill. Here it is:
House Bill 721 is being heard in the House Commerce & Job Development Committee (tomorrow) Wednesday, June 1 at 10:00AM.
HB 721 attempts to clarify North Carolina public policy by articulating certain duties and “safe harbors” for the respective parties:
Landlords shall not knowingly lease apartments with Bed Bug problems;
Tenants have a duty to report any Bed Bug infestation within 5 days of suspecting it;
Landlords may obtain an inspection from a licensed pest control company that a dwelling unit is Bed Bug-free; such inspection is conclusive evidence for Landlord compliance with the law;
When inspection reports are issued to Landlords, subsequent infestation treatment is assumed to be the Tenant’s responsibility;
Tenants in so-called “source apartments” may be responsible for infestation treatment in adjacent apartments;
Failure of Tenants to comply can result in a.) Landlord contracting for an infestation treatment and billing the Tenant; b.) termination of the tenancy; or c.) pursuit of damages.
We encourage all TAA members (and interested landlords) to contact Committee members and ask them to support the bill. Below please find talking points and a list of contact information for all House Commerce & Job Development Committee Members.
Landlord Tenant Bedbug Liability Talking Points
Bedbugs are a increasingly persistent threat to public health, and incidents of bedbug infestation are increasing across the state;
Current law offers little guidance or clarity on issues of liability and landlords are often left to deal with unreported infestations;
Unreported infestations are much more costly to mitigate, and can spread to adjacent units, leading to higher housing costs statewide;
This legislation would prohibit landlords from offering for lease or entering into a rental agreement for any premises that the landlord knows to be infested by bedbugs;
Landlords are responsible for providing safe and healthy conditions for their tenants; however, tenants also have a responsibility to maintain healthy conditions;
House Bill 721 recognizes the limits of current science regarding bedbugs, by allowing landlords to seek an inspection before a unit is rented or requiring them to treat any bed bugs within a 60-day grace period in newly rented units;
House Bill 721 also provides incentives to tenants to be mindful of infestation symptoms and report infestations quickly, leading to lower mitigation costs and reduced risk of infestations spreading.
House Commerce and Job Development Committee
2011-12 Members
Representative Daniel F. McComas, Chair
New Hanover County
919-733-5786
Danny.McComas@ncleg.net
Representative William Brawley, Vice Chair
Mecklenburg County
919-733-5800
Bill.Brawley@ncleg.net
Representative D. Craig Horn, Vice chair
Union County
919-733-2406
Craig.Horn@ncleg.net
Representative Carolyn H. Justice, Vice Chair
New Hanover, Pender Counties
919-715-9664
Carolyn.Justice@ncleg.net
Representative Tim D. Moffitt, Vice Chair
Buncombe County
919-715-3012
Tim.Moffitt@ncleg.net
Representative Phil R. Shepard, Vice Chair
Onslow County
919-715-9644
Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net
Representative Fred F. Steen, II, Vice Chair
Rowan County
919-733-5881
Fred.Steen@ncleg.net
Representative Mike C. Stone, Vice Chair
Harnett, Lee Counties
919-715-3026
Michael.Stone@ncleg.net
Representative Alma Adams
Guilford County
919-733-5902
Alma.Adams@ncleg.net
Representative Kelly M. Alexander, Jr.
Mecklenburg County
919-733-5778
Kelly.Alexander@ncleg.net
Representative Marilyn Avila
Wake County
919-733-5530
Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net
Representative Larry M. Bell
Sampson, Wayne Counties
919-733-5863
Larry.Bell@ncleg.net
Representative James L. Boles, Jr.
Moore County
919-733-5903
Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net
Representative Glen Bradley
Franklin, Halifax, Nash Counties
919-733-5860
Glen.Bradley@ncleg.net
Representative Marcus Brandon
Guilford County
919-733-5825
Marcus.Brandon@ncleg.net
Representative Larry R. Brown
Davidson, Forsyth Counties
919-733-5607
Larry.Brown@ncleg.net
Representative Harold J. Brubaker
Randolph County
919-715-4946
Harold.Brubaker@ncleg.net
Representative Becky Carney
Mecklenburg County
919-733-5827
Becky.Carney@ncleg.net
Representative Jeff Collins
Nash County
919-733-5802
Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net
Representative Bill Cook
Beaufort, Pitt Counties
919-733-5906
Bill.Cook@ncleg.net
Representative William A. Current, Sr.
Gaston County
919-733-5809
Bill.Current@ncleg.net
Representative Jerry C. Dockham
Davidson County
919-715-2526
Jerry.Dockham@ncleg.net
Representative Nelson Dollar
Wake County
919-715-0795
Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net
Representative Jean Farmer-Butterfield
Edgecombe, Wilson Counties
919-733-5898
Jean.Farmer-Butterfield@ncleg.net
Representative Elmer Floyd
Cumberland County
919-733-5959
Elmer.Floyd@ncleg.net
Representative Dale R. Folwell
Forsyth County
919-733-5787
Dale.Folwell@ncleg.net
Representative Phillip Frye
Avery, Caldwell, Mitchell, Yancey Counties
919-733-5661
Phillip.Frye@ncleg.net
Representative Ken Goodman
Montgomery, Richmond Counties
919-733-5823
Ken.Goodman@ncleg.net
Representative Charles Graham
Robeson County
919-715-0875
Charles.Graham@ncleg.net
Representative Mike Hager
Cleveland, Rutherford Counties
919-733-5749
Mike.Hager@ncleg.net
Representative Susi H. Hamilton
New Hanover County
919-733-5754
Susi.Hamilton@ncleg.net
Representative Kelly E. Hastings
Cleveland, Gaston Counties
919-715-2002
Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net
Representative Dewey L. Hill
Brunswick, Columbus Counties
919-733-5830
Dewey.Hill@ncleg.net
Representative Bryan R. Holloway
Rockingham, Stokes Counties
919-733-5609
Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net
Representative Maggie Jeffus
Guilford County
919-733-5191
Maggie.Jeffus@ncleg.net
Representative Linda P. Johnson
Cabarrus County
919-733-5861
Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net
Representative Stephen A. LaRoque
Greene, Lenoir, Wayne Counties
919-715-3017
Stephen.LaRoque@ncleg.net
Representative David R. Lewis
Harnett County
919-715-3015
David.Lewis@ncleg.net
Representative Marvin W. Lucas
Cumberland County
919-733-5775
Marvin.Lucas@ncleg.net
Representative Darrell G. McCormick
Iredell, Surry, Yadkin Counties
919-733-5654
Darrell.McCormick@ncleg.net
Representative Marian N. McLawhorn
Pitt County
919-733-5757
Marian.McLawhorn@ncleg.net
Representative Rodney W. Moore
Mecklenburg County
919-733-5606
Rodney.Moore@ncleg.net
Representative Tom Murry
Wake County
919-733-5602
Tom.Murry@ncleg.net
Representative Bill Owens
Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, Tyrrell
919-733-0010
Bill.Owens@ncleg.net
Representative Diane Parfitt
Cumberland County
919-733-9892
Diane.Parfitt@ncleg.net
Representative Garland E. Pierce
Hoke, Robeson, Scotland Counties
919-733-5803
Garland.Pierce@ncleg.net
Representative Ray Rapp
Haywood, Madison, Yancey Counties
919-733-5732
Ray.Rapp@ncleg.net
Representative Efton M. Sager
Wayne County
919-733-5755
Efton.Sager@ncleg.net
Representative Ruth Samuelson
Mecklenburg County
919-715-3009
Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net
Representative Norman W. Sanderson
Craven, Pamlico Counties
919-733-5853
Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net
Representative Mitchell S. Setzer
Catawba, Iredell Counties
919-733-4948
Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net
Representative Timothy L. Spear
Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Washington Counties
919-715-3029
Tim.Spear@ncleg.net
Representative Edgar V. Starnes
Caldwell County
919-733-5931
Edgar.Starnes@ncleg.net
Representative Joe P. Tolson
Edgecombe, Wilson Counties
919-715-3024
Joe.Tolson@ncleg.net
Representative John A. Torbett
Gaston County
919-733-5868
John.Torbett@ncleg.net
Representative William L. Wainwright
Craven, Lenoir Counties
919-733-5995
William.Wainwright@ncleg.net
Representative Edith D. Warren
Martin, Pitt Counties
919-715-3023
Edith.Warren@ncleg.net
Representative Harry Warren
Rowan County
919-733-5784
Harry.Warren@ncleg.net
Representative Roger West
Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon Counties
919-733-5859
Roger.West@ncleg.net
Representative W. A. (Winkie) Wilkins
Durham, Person Counties
919-715-0850
Winkie.Wilkins@ncleg.net
Representative Larry Womble
Forsyth County
919-733-5777
Larry.Womble@ncleg.net
Representative Michael H. Wray
Northampton, Vance, Warren Counties
919-733-5662
Michael.Wray@ncleg.net
Please contact committee members as soon as possible & urge them to support House Bill 721! Thank you for taking action on this very important apartment industry legislative priority!
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