Unpleasant smell from neighbors’ apartment: where to complain and what measures to take

Your neighbors have cockroaches that are crawling into your apartment. Where to complain? You need to write a complaint to the management company and other authorities, and then collect all the documents and file a lawsuit. Organize a collective struggle, shape public opinion.

Something has happened to you. Cockroaches from your neighbors have come running into your clean, beautiful home. This happened because the neighbor rented out his apartment to strangers, who created unsanitary conditions. What to do? Where to run? Who should I complain to? The neighbor makes money from his property, but you suffer financially and morally! Are there any legislative tools to protect yourself in such a situation? How to defend your right to comfortable living in an apartment building. Contact the society for the protection of the rights of consumers of housing and communal services.

How to understand that cockroaches are coming to you from your neighbors?

Yours is perfectly clean. You never leave food out overnight or in the public domain. If you accidentally spill something, you wipe it up immediately. Wash dishes immediately after eating. You love to do spring cleaning on weekends. All items in your bathroom and toilet are polished to a shine. You regularly disinfect all common areas. You use the Mole product in your sinks and you can’t even imagine that the water won’t quickly wash away any dirt and grease in the sink. You do everything to ensure that an ideal, almost hospital frequency reigns in your home! No insects have the slightest chance of surviving after settling with you. And suddenly..

• Oh God!!! You catch a cockroach in the kitchen.
• Where did he come from?
• You may have brought it home from work if your office is infested with cockroaches.
• Perhaps you brought it from a restaurant, or from a cafe if you like to have your business lunch in catering establishments.
• No!!" Are you sure that the cockroach came to you from your neighbors?

Do not rush to blame your neighbors for the fact that the cockroach came from them. Just start fighting cockroaches right away, and at the same time monitor everything that happens in your apartment.

Residential and multi-family residential buildings present a unique challenge for property owners seeking to prevent pest infestations and respond to pest problems as they arise. In this day and age, it is simply not realistic to keep buildings pest-free in the long term.

With multiple groups of tenants and residents coming and going from apartment buildings at all times of the day, tracking exactly where and when pests are entering is nearly impossible.

That's why the best practice is to implement regular, disciplined pest control methods throughout the year, which will help minimize the temptation for pests to take up residence with you.

Where can I complain if my neighbors have cockroaches?

You have seen with your own eyes how cockroaches are crawling towards you from a neighboring apartment, but your neighbors categorically refuse to poison the insects at home. What should I do?

Contact:

• the prosecutor's office, having prepared a collective statement from several residents;
• city ​​administration and ask them to protect your interests;
• SES and wait for an on-site inspection at your address. Based on the results of the inspection, a conclusion on the examination will be drawn up.

An SES employee will inspect the neighbor’s apartment, document the presence of insects and issue a conclusion on the diagnostics carried out.

Before inviting a specialist, make sure that he has the right to issue an inspection report. This document will be required in court. It is possible to oblige neighbors to carry out pest control only through legal proceedings.

You can complain about your neighbors to the HOA, housing office or management company. It is important that your home is in order, there are no pipes leaking, and it is clean. Otherwise, the SES may bring claims against you in the form of a lawsuit.

When neighbors poison insects, they are obliged to warn you. Otherwise, the surviving individuals will enter your apartment and take up residence in it. When carrying out disinfestation, it is necessary to notify neighbors so that they take appropriate measures:

• cracks and cracks were filled with putty;
• repaired faulty plumbing;
• food and water were removed;
• set traps;
• they applied “protective” markings using “Mashenka” chalk;
• washed the floor with ammonia

How to protect yourself

Prevention is your best defense. Cockroaches are resilient to any attack and can become resistant to many insecticides, especially those found on the shelves of your local hardware store. In fact, failure to properly get rid of cockroaches can make the problem worse.

The best defense against cockroaches is to first make sure there are no cockroaches in your home, and if there are any, make sure they can be dealt with quickly.

Cut off cockroaches' access to water

Pests look for only three basic needs, usually in the following order: water, food and shelter. Water is the very first thing most cockroaches will look for when looking for a new home. This makes keeping standing water and humidity at a minimum level absolutely critical to any effective pest control method.

Spaces that are most likely to suffer from excessive moisture include bathrooms, utility rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, janitorial rooms, and laundry rooms. In these areas, you should be especially careful to check for leaks or puddles of water that could attract pests.

Keep your space clean

Cockroaches are usually ready and can wait a while to find the food and shelter they are looking for. That's why just cleaning every now and then is not enough to keep your apartments pest-free forever.

It is necessary to maintain cleanliness in high-traffic areas, food preparation areas, and bathrooms. You also need to take out the trash every day. You need to understand which areas are most likely to attract pests and how to best prevent crumbs and debris from accumulating.

Treat adjacent rooms

Prevent cross contamination. Identifying and preventing the integration of cockroaches in an apartment is difficult enough, and their removal can be doubly difficult. This is because cockroaches that you exterminate in one place may simply move their activity to another room or to neighbors with each attempt at extermination.

That is why it is so important to block their way from all units adjacent to the contaminated area.

By cutting off all available escape routes, apartment building owners can make it much more difficult for even a single cockroach to survive and greatly increase the likelihood of keeping your property free of pests.

Monitoring is regular and scrupulous

No matter how thorough your cleaning and pest control process may be, all that hard work won't have much effect if you don't regularly monitor and test your cockroach removal process.

By focusing your full attention on pest prevention throughout the year, you dramatically increase your chances of identifying and promptly intervening to stop a pest infestation long before cockroaches have a chance to take hold.

It is also important to analyze the results of pest control to understand which methods are effective and which are not.

Who should poison cockroaches?

The management company is responsible for the sanitary condition of the house and surrounding area. If cockroaches enter an apartment from the basement, entrance or garbage chute, according to Article 161 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the management company is obliged to urgently carry out disinfestation.

Planned extermination of insects is carried out once a year. Unscheduled - at the request of residents. The management company must pay for calling an exterminator on its own. Pest control costs are already included in the rent.

If the management company refuses to fight insects, residents have the right to complain to the prosecutor's office. To do this, it is necessary to collect signatures from at least 80% of the residents of the house or entrance.

In the case where children live in an apartment with unfavorable sanitary conditions, neighbors can write a collective appeal to the guardianship authorities. Guardianship will sort out the situation as quickly as possible.

Insect entry points

Cockroaches can also enter through pipes. Often in an apartment building, a cockroach infestation in one apartment can quickly spread to others because the water supply system connects the apartments. They can quickly move from one apartment to another.

Cockroaches have also been known to get in from sewer drains in the basement or other areas.

Cockroaches can also get inside your home through small openings.

If there is a place where utilities such as pipes or electrical wires pass through the wall and leave open areas outside, then for the cockroach it is like an open door inviting him to visit. Any of these channels is enough to penetrate inside the house, into the walls, and then begin to multiply from neighbor to neighbor.

Cockroaches in the apartment: from neighbors or not

When going to your neighbors, do not forget that you may be wrong and they may have nothing to do with it at all. When you live in an apartment building and cockroaches in the apartment come from your neighbors, it is reasonable to assume that they also somehow got to them. It is quite possible that cockroaches have infested somewhere in the public areas of the house and are gradually spreading throughout it. In this case, you need to contact the management company of your home with a request to conduct an inspection for insect infestation. This will not require any additional costs from you or other residents, but you will still have to do pest control in your apartments yourself and at your own expense.

The problem with cockroaches in your apartment, in your neighbors, in the entrance or throughout the entire house can always be quickly and easily solved with the help of a professional sanitation service. At SES "Des Group", when ordering disinfestation for several apartments at once, each treatment can cost less than when ordering separate treatments for each apartment.

Neighbors are poisoning cockroaches: what to do

• It is clear that it is better if you and your neighbors act together in the fight against cockroaches. If you are interested in ensuring that victory remains yours, follow the proverb “saving drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves.” In other words, don’t be lazy, take on the role of organizer for sanitizing the entrance.
• But if it happened that your neighbors poisoned the cockroaches without warning you, and hordes of red, mustachioed Prussians have already entered your apartment, brazenly climbing through the ventilation, crawling out from under the neighbors’ doors and crawling with direct fire to your doors, you need something urgently stop this avalanche.
• The first thing you can do is set traps. The choice of all these products on the market is huge. Before you run to the store, you might want to make some repellents from what you have at home. There are many folk tricks and tips on how to repel cockroaches. At a minimum, pour some white paint near the communications along which uninvited residents are barging in on you.

• All poison must first be placed near sockets and risers, because it is along these paths that cockroaches, crazy with fear, will crawl towards you. They will be weak and disoriented, so you can deal with them quite easily at this point. The main thing is to let the cockroaches understand by smells or sound signals that your apartment will not become a place of salvation for them, and perhaps poses even more danger and threat to life. Ideally, you should immediately take time off or a vacation and make micro repairs to cover up all the cracks and cracks. All possible entry points for cockroaches must be sealed.
• It would also be good to immediately resort to the help of professionals and call specialists who will treat your apartment with cold fog. It will be cooler if they simultaneously carry out barrier protection measures.
• The most reliable way is to combine hot fog, disinfection and barrier protection. Of course it is expensive. But, believe me, your health, your nerves, your comfort, your sense of security are worth much more. Even if at the moment you don’t have the money to protect yourself as much as possible from cockroaches. We recommend borrowing from friends; it is extremely important for you to put up the strongest and most reliable defense in this war.

How to protect yourself from cockroaches raised by neighbors

In general, if you have an apartment building, it will be difficult to protect yourself from cockroaches bred by your neighbor. Cockroaches, like bedbugs, can appear in one apartment, and then through cracks in the floor, through pipes or through ventilation grilles they can move to a neighboring apartment or to the entrance. For this reason, very often attempts to defeat these pests end in failure.

Many people poison these insects. For some time the cockroaches disappear, but then they crawl out of all the cracks again. This requires an integrated approach. The main thing is to understand where exactly they came from - to identify the source of their spread.

What to do if neighbors do not want to get rid of cockroaches

Have you decided to get rid of cockroaches yourself? Keep your neighbors updated on your pest control efforts.

You can simply be honest and inform your neighbors about your planned pest prevention in the apartment. But this is not enough. Your goal is not to build trust, but to significantly reduce the likelihood that pests will temporarily hide with neighbors and then return to you again.

It's better for you to do everything synchronously and at the same time. The fight against cockroaches will be successful only in alliance with all neighbors. It is better to poison cockroaches in the entire house at once, at least for all residents from one entrance.

It is quite understandable why some neighbors, for example antisocial elements, may want to maintain pest problems because they have neither the desire, nor the means, nor the strength, nor the ability to fight cockroaches. Take matters into your own hands. Pay for sanitary treatment not only of your apartment, but also of your neighbors’ cockroaches. Believe me, for your nerves and further comfortable living, this is the best option. Use all your diplomatic talents to convince your neighbors to let the sanitation service into your apartment. Help your neighbors put things in order and do a general cleaning in their neglected home. If they have any conscience and self-respect left, they will be grateful for your help.

If your neighbors categorically do not want to get rid of cockroaches, then try to team up with other normal neighbors and still talk to the residents from the “shalman”. As a last resort, you can involve the district inspector in the conversation. It is better to contact the police in writing. Let's hope that the matter will be limited to conversations.

How to determine that cockroaches are from neighbors

If the apartment is clean and food is out of reach of parasites, we can confidently conclude that cockroaches are entering from the outside.

To determine which neighbor is to blame for this situation, it is recommended to share the problem with each of them. You should ask if they have encountered this situation and what they did to get rid of the insects. Perhaps the culprit admits that cockroaches also live in his apartment. Read also: “Bedbugs are crawling from neighbors: what to do, where to go”

This method does not guarantee a 100% result, but there is still a chance to clarify the circumstances.

If you can’t determine where the parasites are coming from, you can try to track their movement. To do this, you need to turn the light on and off several times at night.

Most often insects migrate through:

• ventilation system;
• Electricity of the net;
• cracks in the walls;
• doorways.

It is necessary to determine where the cockroaches are fleeing from in the largest numbers and eliminate access:

• cover up the cracks;
• install mosquito nets on windows;
• attach a fine mesh to the ventilation hole.

We advise you to read: “Unpleasant smell from your neighbors’ apartment: where to complain and what measures to take.”

Which services to contact and complain to?

Legal regulation of the provision of housing and communal services is determined by the norms of civil and housing legislation.

In the case when utility services are provided to a citizen who uses them for personal, household purposes not related to business activities, the relevant relations are subject to the provisions of the Law of the Russian Federation of 02/07/1992 No. 2300-1 “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, relating to providing consumers with the necessary and reliable information about services, service providers, compensation for moral damages, legal protection.

Who to write a complaint to

• If the neighbors do not listen to your comments and do not want to get rid of cockroaches, if they are not adequate and unclean, then you will have to fight with them. To do this, it is better to unite with other neighbors and try to collectively influence them because, by and large, cockroaches are a problem for the entire entrance.
• On the other hand, by enlisting collective indignation, you will be able to quickly achieve results in official instances
• You can appeal to 4 authorities with complaints.
• You need to start with the local inspector. It is his direct responsibility to check your written statement and conduct a preventative conversation with your neighbor. He must issue a warning. If you continue to fight, this document will be useful in court.
• You can submit a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor in free form. They will definitely provide you with a written response about the measures taken. The main thing is that you must describe what independent preventive measures you took and prove that they did not bring any results.

• The SES is the main body that must neutralize living quarters from parasites and prevent infection, including cockroaches. If you are going to write an application to the SES, you need to team up with two more apartment owners, print out this application in two copies, take it personally to the office of the sanitary and epidemiological station and give it for signature. The second copy must be retained until appropriate measures have been taken.
• You can submit your application electronically. To do this, you need to go to the official website of the SES in your city.
• The court is the last resort if your previous actions have had no effect. But usually the case rarely comes to court. If you want to evict your neighbors from your apartment, then you will need a very large number of documents, expert opinions and definitely the help of a lawyer.
• There is also another station with which it makes sense to discuss problems: the management company. It is her responsibility to keep the basement, attic, and your entryways clean and sanitary. She is obliged to carry out sanitation there free of charge upon your signal. If they try to collect money from you for pest control in public places, this is illegal.

Naturally, you carry out pest control in your own apartment at your own expense.

What to do when Prussians appear in the apartment?

If single individuals are spotted in an apartment, these are scouts checking whether part of the expanded population can find a new habitat. To eliminate individuals and to prevent the establishment of large numbers of pests, a number of measures must be taken:

• block possible entry routes;
• strengthen hygiene measures in the apartment;
• set baits and traps;
• install repellers;
• increase cleaning of the premises;
• get rid of pests that have already penetrated.

If there are a lot of insects and you can’t get rid of them using simple means, call a pest control service, which will treat the apartment with special professional products that are guaranteed to rid the room of cockroaches for at least a year.

Find where they are coming from

Prussians usually move from a dysfunctional apartment to their neighbors through a loose grille in the ventilation shaft, through electrical wiring (and slots for it), through even small cracks in the walls and door openings.

If cockroaches are definitely running towards you from an adjacent apartment, you need to find the place through which the most of them are crossing.

To do this, monitor the movements of pests at night, turning on the light from time to time. It happens that one gap between apartments or common wiring is a “bridge” for defectors. Then the cockroach road needs to be eliminated.

Block off possible entry points

What needs to be done to completely block the Prussians from getting into the house from their neighbors?

• Replace the grille on the ventilation shaft with a very fine one or cover it with mesh;
• glue the wallpaper at the joints, coating them with cockroach glue;
• seal all the cracks in the baseboards and between the walls with sealant;
• coat all the cracks in the doors, carefully seal the holes in the openings;
• tightly close the drain holes in the bathroom with special plugs.

These measures may be sufficient, but it is better to use measures to repel insects, poison for them, and bait for prevention. It is also necessary to strengthen hygiene measures indoors and prevent free access to food for cockroaches.

How to get rid of it - ways

If part of the population or single scouts have already entered the apartment, the following preventive measures must be taken:

• deprive uninvited guests of food - do not leave dirty dishes in the sink, thoroughly wash all surfaces, shake off crumbs from the table;
• Products should be packaged in impenetrable tight bags, well-closed jars or containers;
• do not leave garbage in the bucket overnight; after shaking out food debris, rinse the bucket with vinegar;
• do not leave the cockroaches the opportunity to drink - wipe all surfaces dry, wring out the dishwashing sponges and put them in a container;
• fix the taps so that water does not drip;
• Vacuum the entire apartment weekly or twice a week, wash the floors with vinegar, soda or citrus and mint oils.

To repel insects, be sure to use cockroach chalk, sprays, and traps with poisonous bait. Place them in areas of potential penetration.

Special poisonous gels that are safe for children and domestic cats and dogs are very effective. The most popular poisons of this type are Global, Dohlox, Raptor, Combat.

The Prussians are repelled by the aromatic smells of citrus fruits, wormwood, and mint. You can place dry herbs and crusts in the corners of the apartment, you can wash floors, baseboards and kitchen surfaces with oils and infusions.

Reference! The old Soviet folk remedy still works great. You need to make a poison from potatoes boiled in their skins, yolk and boric acid. Roll small balls from the resulting mixture and place them in areas of potential accumulation of Prussians. The main thing is to prevent cockroaches from drinking by wiping all surfaces dry, including in the bathroom.

What do cockroaches do while the trial is going on?

If you go to court, it will take a lot of time and “While a fairy tale takes a long time to tell, the matter is quickly done” - your cockroaches can spread throughout your apartment. Even if the court decides to evict your neighbors, it will not evict the cockroaches from you by its decision. You may unwittingly become the source of unsanitary conditions and find yourself in the position of a neighbor with whom you fought. Defeating cockroaches is not easy, no need to waste time.

Where to go if neighbors don't respond

If there is a constant stench from neighbors, the options for where to complain are standard.

1. Law enforcement standards. If residents do not correct the situation in their apartment, this is a violation of living standards in an apartment building. The appeal must indicate how the stench from the neighbor affects the applicant. For example, an allergy has developed. And if small children live in the apartment, the risk of negative health consequences is higher.
2. The police accept such statements due to unsanitary conditions, lack of care for pets, etc. You can learn how to write an appeal correctly from the article “Application to a district police officer against unlucky neighbors: pitfalls, writing samples.”
3. Prosecutor's office. You can apply on the same grounds if the district police officer does not take measures to influence the violators. The appeal must indicate that attempts have been made to resolve the issue through law enforcement agencies and attach a copy of the application to the district police officer. "Sample application to the prosecutor's office."
4. Rospotrebnadzor is one of the options where to complain if sanitary and epidemiological standards are not observed. “Sample application to Rospotrebnadzor.”
5. Court. If attempts to resolve the issue have failed, this is a last resort measure to combat the source of the constant stench. In court, you have the best chance of rectifying the situation, since otherwise the neighbor faces eviction, even if we are talking about privatized housing. Copies of appeals to regulatory authorities and responses to them (if any) must be attached to the claim.

To increase the chances of successfully resolving the situation, it is worth submitting an application not from one tenant, but from a group. A collective complaint will be considered faster. can be found here - “Collective complaint to the police.”