Here's my letter to management..it will tell you about what I went through!
On January 15, 2005 I signed a lease with the Sycamore Lake Apartments. Upon officially moving in on February 1, 2005, I loved my new apartment. However, shortly after moving in I started having problems with fleas and at the time I was 8 months pregnant. When I initially complained I was told that I did not have fleas but were some type of flying insect. I knew it was a flea and felt as if I was being called a liar. After numerous complaints the owner of Good Earth Pest Control came by my then apartment at Westchester Dr to investigate the premises and look at the specimen that I killed in a glass of water. He confirmed that it was a flea and found that the apartment above me was infested. I had been through so many treatments with no resolution to the problem. I finally decided that I would never be able to comfortably put my infant on the floor to play and learn how to advance her motor skills. I decided that I would like to move to another apartment so management could completely fix the problem in that unit. I was not compensated for transfer fees (cable, electric) or time that I could not spend in my apartment and the labor I used to move from point A to point B because I was pregnant and could not do it alone. I felt like I was being bothersome to the management on site and was being punished for wanting to be comfortable in my own home.
Upon moving to my current apartment we bombed all of my furniture and belonging the night before moving, washed the legs and base of everything and then sprayed them with flea spray. I was very relieved and happy at my new apartment (which was also sprayed before I moved in) for several months until the fleas started to reappear. I want you to know that I have a 3 month old child in my home and NO PETS. These fleas are solely living off of me and my child. This is a horrible situation! This past weekend there was a boom in flea activity. I caught about 11 fleas and drowned them in a glass of water and soap. My breaking point was seeing a flea on my daughters face after sitting her on the couch for a minute. I can not live like this and this is NOT normal. I was told by the office manager today that we live around a lot of trees and they could come in on my pant legs. This is true but why is this my problem?? I have lived in Memphis for 6 years (East-heavily wooded, Downtown, and Midtown) and never ever had a flea problem. I feel that moving to these apartments was the biggest mistake that I ever made and will make sure people know how awful it is to live here. I have since seen fleas in my truck!!!!!!! My furniture is ruined! And I have been greatly INCONVIENCED! I was asked by the management today If you move to a new fully furnished apartment how do you know that apartment doesnt have fleas? I repeat THIS IS NOT NORMAL! THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! I have never had this problem at other living establishments. If I have to I plan on getting legal representation and talking to the other residents that are experiencing flea problems (and there are others).
This issue has been emotionally and financially taxing on me. I am embarrassed to have company and friends over because I am afraid they might be bitten. My plans are to move out ASAP. Put all my furniture into storage (Fog the storage room every 2 months for a year), move into a fully furnished apartment only taking my cloths (will wash and bag before leaving), and steam clean my furniture before using it again. I have experienced lost of sleep affecting my performance at work, fear of the fleas transmitting some kind of disease to my child, and overall anxiety about moving these little critters with me! I will now have to pay a monthly storage fee and cleaning, transfer, and moving fees (moving company, deposits, application, etc.)
I feel like I am now caught in a vicious cycle that I was blindly thrown into without warning. I would like to be released from my lease and all expensed paid for my inconvenience (rent, fees, etc). Please lets rectify this situation and come to an agreement. I have always paid my rent and never made any trouble. This is NOT what I signed up for!