Are thinking of relocating to Canada? Moving your family to a different city can be overwhelming especially when you know little about the town. If you are moving to a new location and you are worried about who will foot the bills in case of bug infestations, then read on.
If you move to your dream house, apartment or condo only to find out you just moved into a breeding home of pesky bugs, it is a nightmare. To make the matter worse often times, you are responsible for the cost of extermination. Before you own a home in any of the regions in Canada, it is necessary to read and understand the law governing the city; every homeowner or tenant should understand bed bugs and the law governing the area to avoid unnecessary disputes between landlords and tenants.
Alberta
It is the sole responsibility of the landlord to provide a healthy and habitable environment for the tenant. If the tenants notice bug infestation, they are advised to go to the local health authority and report the situation. The health inspectors will evaluate the case, and if the landlord is found wanting, he will be asked to take of it.
British Columbia
Similar to Alberta, the landlord must provide healthy and bug-free rental unit for the tenants. The landlord is responsible for exterminating bed bug infestations. If you are living in Vancouver or planning to move there, kindly visit the Tenants Rights Action Coalition for further information; Vancouver has a high rate of bed bug invasion.
Manitoba
The landlords are obligated to exterminate cockroaches, as well as other pesky pests and rodents while they have tenants, to maintain a healthy and clean environment afterward under the province’s public health act.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Tenants and landlords handle the situation themselves, but if they cannot find common ground to settle the bed bug case, the residential tenancy branch can intervene and help the landlord and tenant resolve the dispute.
New Brunswick
If you are leaving in New Brunswick, there is no specific bed bug legislation. Nevertheless, the rental and consumer affairs can help you resolve any cases of bed bug-related disputes between tenants and landlords. The “law” favors the tenants, only if they have proofs that the fault was as a result of the landlord’s negligence.
Nova Scotia
There is no laid down legislation for resolving bed bug disputes between the tenant and the landlord in Nova Scotia. However, if the landlord can prove that the tenant is responsible for the bugs’ infestation, then they will be responsible for extermination. Furthermore, if the tenant is found innocent, the landlord assumes the responsibility of fixing the bed bug problems.
Ontario
Again, like the maritime provinces, there is no laid down rule concerning bed bug infestation. The landlord is mandated to provide a bug-free environment for any new tenant, and the tenant has to ensure the environment is clean and free from clutter to eliminate the risk of inviting pests in the house.
Quebec
If you are moving to this region as a tenant, YOU are responsible for the cost exterminating bed bugs, and other pests from your home, except if you have evidence that you did not bring them while moving. It is a little tricky nevertheless, it is the duty of the landlord to stop the infestation from spreading to another part of the house.
Saskatchewan
Like some of the provinces in Canada, no specific rule covers bed bug infestation, but each will be handled by an arbitrator before any action can be taken. The case can be in favor of the landlord or the tenant so long each party can prove they are not guilty of the pest invasion.
For more information, landlords and tenants can consult individual local or provincial landlord-tenant agencies for guidance.
