So I moved into a place a month ago and have had significant roach issues since about 2 weeks in. Just want to preface this by saying I am an extremely clean person - I take out my trash and compost daily. I sweep daily and mop weekly. I have never had any roach issues ever.

I have probably killed between 45-50 roaches since June 2, when I noticed it started to get really bad. My landlord is telling me that pest control is a tenant issue and that I would have to pay for it, and, to their point, it is in section 17 of the lease. However, Austin (maybe Texas as a whole IDK) considers a roach infestation to be a safety and health hazard, and the lease says that "the landlord is to pay entirely any "condition that adversely affects the health or safety of an ordinary tenant which is not caused by the Tenant, an occupant, member of Tenant's family, or a guest or invitee of tenant." The landlord came by and found literally a single honey nut cheerio under the stove (this is literally the only thing they found) and is trying to use that as a means to me causing the infestation.

Do I have case? I am asking them just to let me out of my lease. Roaches are in my bed, closet, clothes, drawers, etc. and they are really ****ing things up for me. Any legal advice is super appreciated - I have lawyer friends tell me I could destroy them in a civil case and I have other lawyer friends say that I might ultimately be responsible due to the portion of the lease that states that I am responsible for pest control.

Not saying you should or shouldn't have to pay for it, but could you get an exterminator there to spray? I just did this for a house we just moved into and it was only $160. Cheaper than moving.

Landlord doesn't sound great, but fighting with a not so great landlord sounds worse.

Do you live in single unit or multi unit with shared walls?

What kind of roaches? Small brown ones maybe 1/2 or slightly bigger? Or they the large red or black roaches. Do you see one at a time or in multiples?

We called the little browns German and big ones tree roaches.

They are mix of sizes but the small ones are likely just juvenile tree roaches. The adults are at least 2" long

I also love in a duplex and the only shared walls I have are in the garage

Yea we we call tree roaches but there are still a couple common varieties that kind of get lumped together.

Put some bait traps next to the shared wall. No telling what food source could be stored there. I'm guessing that or they have a nest very near the home. If you are consistently seeing them single but day after day something is attracting them. Food, water and or shelter.

Most likely though you need pest service

I'd just pay. This is something that you put in your lease when you sign. If it wasn't agreed to at signing, then you have to take care of it yourself. When I still lived in Austin, I leased three different homes. This time of year, the roaches started to invade. They are coming in because of the heat. Get an exterminator and just call it an investment in your health

Charpie said:

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I'd just pay. This is something that you put in your lease when you sign. If it wasn't agreed to at signing, then you have to take care of it yourself. When I still lived in Austin, I leased three different homes. This time of year, the roaches started to invade. They are coming in because of the heat. Get an exterminator and just call it an investment in your health

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I hear you and I'll likely just end up paying. I just really didn't appreciate how I was basically accused by the landlord of causing an infestation when I moved into a roach infested house.

Also to note that the city came out and ruled this as an infestation, which legally makes the place unlivable and is a breach of the contract. The landlords were not buying that I was killing, at one point, 10-15 a day, so I had an inspector from the city come out and verify.

Charpie said:

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Haha true.

And it's hard with a duplex. Your neighbor could be causing it. Same thing happened to us when we lived in a duplex 15 years ago. Thankfully, we were able to prove the neighbor was a hoarder by snapping a pic of their bedroom when their curtain was open and she was smoking a cigarette. I mean we had roaches coming in from that side of our place. It was so obvious. We paid to have the house treated and then showed the landlord the pics. The lady eventually wound up abandoning the place and when they went in, they found dead rats, along with a bunch of other stuff. How she even qualified to move in there?!?! Your guess is as good as mine. The husband thinks it was because she was using a stolen identity.

But yeah, it's sucks. I'm sorry it's happening to you.

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Oh my god that is absolutely crazy!

You have a ****ty landlord unfortunately... I have a bit of a different situation in that I live in a 1930's rental, so the landlord probably knows it is tough to argue against all the nooks and crannies in an old house like the one we are in.

That being said, if they still won't budge after multiple back-and-forths, I would personally just pay for someone to come spray inside and around the house. In addition, I have read that people have had a lot of success using diatomaceous earth sprinkled around any potential entry spots as it dries up the exoskeletons of bugs and kills them shortly thereafter.

Advion Roach Gel Bait! Youtube it!