Before a new or renewal lease, New York City requires the owner to tell you about bedbug history in that unit. Administrative Code section 27-2018.1 covers a one-year lookback: whether the unit had an infestation, whether it was treated, and whether the infestation was eliminated. Read the form. Do not skip it because the apartment smells like paint.
What the form is
It is a disclosure, not a certificate that the building has never had insects. A blank history can mean a clean year. A treated year can mean the problem was handled. Neither line is a reason to panic or a reason to stop asking questions. Ask when treatment happened and whether it was the unit, adjoining units, or both, if that is not already on the paper.
The form is about the dwelling unit you are leasing. It is not a building-wide pest résumé. Do not treat a hallway rumor as a substitute for the disclosure, and do not treat the disclosure as gossip about every line on the floor.
What you do with it
Keep a copy with the lease. If you later see bites, casings, or live insects, tell the building in writing the same day. Bedbugs are a Housing Maintenance Code issue. Delay helps them move. Do not bomb the apartment with a consumer fogger and then call. You can make a treatment harder.
Used furniture is the other common path. Inspect anything that comes off the sidewalk. CORT is a confirmed furniture partner if you need a rental while you decide. That is not a pest claim. It is a way not to bring a sidewalk headboard upstairs.
Before you sign
Ask for the disclosure with the rest of the lease packet. If you are still comparing units, tour the one you mean and read that unit's paper, not a neighbor's story. Call (212) 684-3222.
Interested in Living at The Anthem?
Browse available studios, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom residences at 222 East 34th Street, Murray Hill — with video tours and 3D walkthroughs for every unit.
View Available Apartments Schedule a Tour