Delaware General Assembly

Lieu/Substituted 4/12/22

The General Assembly has ended, the current status is the final status.

SS 1 for SB 240

3/8/22

Sturgeon

Sen. Lockman
Rep. K. Johnson

Sen. Townsend, Pinkney
Rep. Lambert

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 25 AND 31 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BED BUGS.

This Act prohibits landlords from renting a dwelling unit that the landlord knows has a current bed bug infestation. This Act also obligates landlords to notify prospective tenants of any bed bug infestation occurring in the dwelling unit or within the building in which the dwelling unit is located within the previous 12 months. In addition, the Act sets forth the steps a landlord must take upon receiving notice of an actual or suspected bed bug infestation, including acknowledging the complaint, obtaining investigatory and remedial services from a pest management professional, notifying tenants of inspection, remediation, and monitoring in connection with a bed bug complaint, notifying tenants of the pest management professional's determination regarding the infestation, obtaining reasonable monitoring services for a period of 12 months after no evidence of bed bugs can be found, and maintaining a written record of all complaints and control measures provided for a period of 2 years. Further, the Act provides that if notice of an actual or suspected bed bug infestation is provided within 180 days after the lease commencement or within 90 days of discovery of a bed bug infestation in an adjoining unit in the building, the landlord is responsible for the costs of investigating and remediating the infestation; if the notice is provided more than 180 days after the lease commencement date and not within 90 days of discovery of a bed bug infestation in an adjoining unit, the landlord is responsible for investigating and remediating the infection, but the tenant shall share in the responsibility for the reasonable costs of the investigation and remediation. However, the tenant is not responsible to share in costs with properties managed by a state or local government housing authority or properties for which rent is paid through a government-sponsored housing choice voucher program.

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Takes effect upon being signed into law

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