The first time Winnet Runhare and her roommates visited their new Waterloo apartment, they saw a cockroach.
They assumed it was an aberration, and didn’t think much of it.
“Two weeks in, we started seeing a lot more,” Runhare says.
Runhare says the property manager of the off-campus student housing building they live in sent someone to deal with the infestation.
“He told us that it should take three to four days for it to disappear, but we’re still seeing them after two weeks,” she says.
Now, Runhare and her roommates find cockroaches in their kitchen, their bedrooms, and other areas of their apartment.
It’s at the point where two of the three students have moved out, vowing not to return until the insects are gone. The third is staying put, but doesn’t want to cook in the kitchen.
They say the property management company is slow to respond, and not taking the problem seriously. They’re considering taking legal action through the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Waterloo’s pest control bylaw states that rental properties should be free of insects. The city prefers that landlords address such issues proactively.
The property management company did not respond to a request for comment before this story was published.
