Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian’s bedbug legislation, AB 551, has undergone a major overhaul after facing concerns by tenant groups that it may not be tough enough on property owners.
While the original version imposed protocols for bedbug eradication on landlords, tenants and pest control companies, the bill has been stripped of those provisions and now focuses on some basic duties.
After extensive meetings with both landlord and tenant groups over the summer in both Los Angeles and Sacramento, the bill will focus on:
- Prohibiting landlords from leasing property that they know has a current bedbug infestation.
- Encouraging tenants who suspect bedbugs in their units to report it to landlords. The bill would protect tenants from landlord retaliation for reporting the suspected problem.
- Requiring pest control companies to provide a written report to the owner and tenants who had their units inspected for bedbugs.
As reported by the summer’s working group of property owners and tenants, these three areas of focus for the bill encompass the practices of conscientious landlords and pest control companies. CAA will work over the coming weeks with the assemblyman on the specific wording for the bill.