State Assembly Housing Committee Unanimously Agrees on Bed Bug Disclosure Act

We learned earlier today through one of the leading stories on the BrickUnderground.com newsletter that the State Assembly Housing Committee has unanimously passed a bill requiring New York City landlords to disclose previous bed bug infestations in their buildings over the past year.

Here's the bill.

Hooray! Every bit(e) counts.

According to the specifications laid out by this bill, the landlords must disclose whether or not other infestations have occurred in the building, but not the specific apartments in which the bugs were found. This bill was modified from it's original form, which had more specific guidelines when it came to the disclosure, including a five year "look back" period for these disclosures. This bill is supported by Upper West Side assembly member, Linda B. Rosenthal.

According to BrickUndergound,

"The bill, which may be the first of its kind in the country, doesn’t specify a penalty for landlords who fail to comply. Enforcement will be up to the state’s Division of Housing and Community Renewal."

Stay tuned for more information about the status of this bill as it comes our way.