A new bill being proposed in New York City could require that hotels hire exterminators to do bug inspections in the rooms once every six months.
The bill is being introduced by Councilman Rafael Espinal, following a report saying that bed bug sightings at New York hotels increased 44 percent between 2014 and 2015.
“Everyone hates bedbugs — they prey on human flesh and cause huge expenses. Tenants, homeowners, and businesses pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars to exterminate an infestation and replace damaged furniture and clothing. We as a city have to be proactive to inform New Yorkers where the problem is occurring, and protect New Yorkers or tourists who stay in hotels.”
Rafael also plans of introducing a bill that would require the city of New York to publish annual reports on anything related to bed bugs, such as violations and complaints of bed bugs in apartment buildings, and how long it took to resolve each issue. This would include a map published every three months to show exactly where the infestations took place.
