If your Alabama apartment is infested with termites, it may be vulnerable to structural or other types of damage. Furthermore, it’s possible that any of your belongings that are made from materials that termites like to eat could be vulnerable as well. As a general rule, your landlord is responsible for mitigating the problem and ensuring that you have a place to stay while this is happening.
How are termites eliminated?
Typically, termites are eliminated through a process called tenting. During the tenting process, the home is sealed while gas is pumped through the spaces where they are located. The gas that is used to kill this pest is harmful to humans and most domesticated animals. Therefore, you will need to spend several days living in a hotel or in some other location.
Who pays for your relocation expenses?
Your landlord will be required to compensate you in some manner for the cost of finding a place to live while tenting is ongoing. For instance, your landlord may divide your monthly rent by 30 to determine your daily rate. From there, your landlord will multiply that figure by the number of days that you were out of your apartment to determine how much you’re entitled to. It’s also possible that the property owner will simply reimburse you any actual costs that were incurred during the relocation period.
What if the infestation is your fault?
It’s possible that you may have contributed to the infestation either intentionally or by accident. This may be true if you failed to report a water leak or took other actions that caused conditions for termites to thrive in or around the apartment. In such a scenario, you may have to pay to repair termite infestations on your own.
If your landlord fails to maintain the rental property, you may be entitled to compensation. It may be possible to use a copy of the rental contract or messages sent to them as evidence that they failed to comply with state law.