Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Maryland

I was recently sent a letter stating that my complex was spraying for bed bugs it was a inconvenient time so i ask if i could cancel they said no informed them i didn't want the service and the associate said that if i didn't ready my apartment i would be charged $1000. I ready-ed my apartment and left for the day so the exterminator could work.I received a call that afternoon asking if i changed my locks because the exterminator was having trouble entering my apartment i said no and the associate said ok. When I called a day later to ask if it was done she informed me that i was to be charged because the could not enter due to my chain being on the door i asked if she went through the front or the back because i kept the chain on the back but the front was available. She said it didn't matter i was going to be charge and she wasn't discussing it any further. So I was wondering how is it I can be charged for something I didn't sign for or request? I don't think its in my lease that this mandatory so how can it be legal for them to charge me for this?


Asked on 8/23/10, 10:23 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Phillip M. Cook Cook Legal Services, LLC

No one can answer the question without looking at your lease. In all likelihood, the landlord/management company has the ability to enter your apartment upon reasonable notice to do things like spray for bedbugs (why wouldn't you want your landlord to spray for bedbugs?!?!?!). If you made it difficult for the exterminator to enter the apartment, they can likely charge you for the service. If the management company was simply being lazy by by not checking both doors to your unit, it's on them.

It sounds to me like the only way you are going to relieve yourself of the obligation to pay the $1000 is if you hire a Maryland attorney that either threatens to sue the landlord, or if that doesn't work, actually file suit to enjoin the landlord from seeking that $1,000. It will cost you money to do this.

Best of luck. ******The above does not establish an attorney-client relationship and is intended for informational purposes only.******

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Answered on 8/28/10, 1:44 pm


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