§ 38-12-1003 — Bed bugs - inspections - treatments - costs

(1) If a landlord
obtains an inspection for bed bugs, the landlord must provide written notice to the
tenant within two business days after the inspection indicating whether the
dwelling unit contains bed bugs.

(2) If a qualified inspector conducting an inspection determines that neither
the dwelling unit nor any contiguous dwelling unit contains bed bugs, the notice
provided by the landlord pursuant to subsection (1) of this section must inform the
tenant that if the tenant remains concerned that the dwelling unit contains bed
bugs, the tenant may contact the local health department to report such concerns.

(3) If a qualified inspector conducting an inspection determines that a
dwelling unit or any contiguous dwelling unit contains bed bugs in any stage of the
life cycle, the qualified inspector shall provide a report of the determination to the
landlord within twenty-four hours; except that, for any such determination that is
made by a qualified inspector licensed by the commissioner of agriculture pursuant
to article 10 of title 35, the qualified inspector shall provide the report in
accordance with rules promulgated by the commissioner of agriculture pursuant to
said article 10. Not later than five business days after the date of the inspection, the
landlord shall commence reasonable measures, as determined by the qualified
inspector, to effectively treat the bed bug presence, including retaining the
services of a pest control agent to treat the dwelling unit and any contiguous
dwelling unit.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this part 10, a landlord is responsible for
all costs associated with an inspection for, and treatment of, bed bugs. Nothing in
this section prohibits a tenant from contacting any agency at any time concerning
the presence of bed bugs.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2019: Entire part added, (HB 19-1328), ch. 426, p. 3719, � 1, effective January 1, 2020.