The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is aiming to cut down on a growing bedbug problem by imposing penalties on property owners who do not correct public health nuisances.
The legislation comes at a time when bedbug cases reported to the Public Health Department have increased 44 percent over the past three years, according to the San Francisco Examiner. Some 373 cases were reported in 2007, 537 were reported in 2009 and 501 cases have been reported so far this year.
Fines of up to $1,000 per day would be imposed on property owners who do not correct health nuisances such as bedbugs, garbage, mold, mildew and rat infestations, according to CBS San Francisco.
The health department said tenants could also be held responsible by the legislation.
Opposition to the legislation has come from the San Francisco Apartment Association, a group that represents landlords, according to the Examiner.
"They don’t need this," said Janan New, executive director of the association. "It’s just a piling on by the Department of Public Health. Bedbugs are a national epidemic. They can’t be the sole responsibility of rental-housing providers."
The Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee appproved the bill on a 2-1 vote on Monday and the full board will vote next Tuesday.
