OUTSMART THIS SMALL BUT POWERFUL
ENEMY IN THE PROPERTIES YOU MANAGE
BY GREG L. MARTIN, CPM EMERITUS AND JOHN L. BIEG, CPM
Bed bugs have made a comeback since the early twentieth
century, and as a real estate manager, you’ve probably come into contact with—
or at least heard stories of—the damage caused by these small pests. Contrary
to popular myth, bed bugs aren’t necessarily the result of dirty or unsanitary
conditions—they are equal opportunity pests, finding their way from place to
place by latching onto pets, furniture, clothing, luggage and other items with
dark hiding spaces and nooks and crannies.
Their prevalence in hotels, dormitories, single- and multifamily homes,
airplanes, hospitals and other places where people live, work and shop, is
widespread. When you consider how
easily they can spread from place to
place and the cost of remediation—
along with the bad press associated
with their presence—bed bugs can
quickly become time- and money-
consuming and ultimately impact the
NOI of the properties you manage.
