The Blairs (owned By Tower Companies)    |    Garvin Robertson, John D\\\'Costa    |    Silver Spring    ,    Maryland 20910    Landlord Complaint 23-6861

Within the first month of moving into my 2-bedroom apartment at the Blairs, I experienced insect bites. My roommate and I have never experienced bed bug issues prior to our stay in the Blairs. We only brought our own furniture, which was 100% bed bug free prior to move-in. During these months only I (in the master bedroom) was affected by bed bugs, not my roommate. After dozens of painful bites all over my arms, I finally saw a bed bug on my bed and had the proof I needed to contact an exterminator (2-3 months post move-in). A week or so past and we were told we\\\'d receive 3 spray treatments over the course of several weeks. I requested reimbursement for laundry costs, but was was refused. We were told incorrect treatment dates and maintenance failed to inform us when they were coming, but assumingly the treatments were carried out (the last one occurring in the beginning of January). Only after after the third treatment in early January, combined $500 worth of bed bug related items I had to purchase, did the bites seem to decrease in number. After about 1-1.5 months without bed bugs bites, my roommate and I switched bedrooms due to an unrelated issue related to rent payment. My roommate thus occupied the master bedroom, and I was then in the smaller bedroom. Before the switch, we vacuumed each room thoroughly and moved our furniture. Several weeks after our bedroom switch, and approximately 1.5 months after the last spray treatment, my roommate began getting bed bug bites all over her body, including large ones on her face/head. I, on the other hand, was not getting any bed bug bites in the other room. This leads us to the likely conclusion that the bedbugs had been embedded into the walls/floor of the master bedroom all along and prior to our move-in itself. Our bedroom switch proves that none of my furniture or personal items housed the bedbugs, or I would have brought them along into the other bedroom after our switch. Unfortunately, my roommate now is the one getting bitten (unless they decide to spread). In addition, the chemical \\\"spray\\\" treatment we received was ineffective, and may be useless due to the fact that bed bugs build up resistance to the chemicals. Heat treatment was not provided or offered. Neither of our neighbors were treated or inspected for bed bugs. In conclusion, circumstances dictate that the apartment itself (the master bedroom) is the source of the infestation, treatment was ineffective, and our living situation is inhabitable.