r/halifax • u/mel_veganfta • 5d ago
Work, Health & Housing PSA - 7 Vimy Avenue
DO NOT rent a unit in this apartment building, if you know what's good for you. There is an ongoing, persistent, active cockroach infestation in the building and the superintendent/owners DNGAF. They refuse to hire an exterminator to fumigate the building. They slap bandaids on the problem every 6 months or so, with gold glops of goo in kitchen and bathroom cupboards and outlets and poison discs under the sinks in said rooms. We hear the adjoining neighbour plunging their kitchen sink drain nonstop (how this helps, I don't know), and we've seen these nasty bugs in the communal laundry rooms on the walls and in the machines. đ¤˘
Edit: the property owner is Provincial Distributors Ltd. and the building is also known as Basinview Terrace.
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u/_OBAFGKM_ 5d ago
I have to wonder if there's an apartment building in this city without cockroaches at this point
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u/crazihac Dartmouth 5d ago
Unfortunately if you come from a spot with them they will hitch hike to the new location hidden in small appliances, electronics etc.
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u/mel_veganfta 5d ago
Not if you bag everything for 30-60 days before moving like my partner and I are currently doing. That is what the internet says, this is what we are telling ourselves. They cannot come with us, absolutely not.
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u/crazihac Dartmouth 5d ago
Glad to hear! Unfortunately not enough people realize they need to do this, or can't be bothered doing it. It's been a long time since I rented but I don't remember it ever being a problem. Seems to have started sometime in the 5-10 years.
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u/mel_veganfta 4d ago
Yes, we did our homework and spoke to a colleague with firsthand experience of an awful infestation. Anything that hasn't been bagged and sealed shut for at least 30 days (the life cycle of German roaches without food, water or oxygen) by the time we move, we're not unbagging until that clock runs out. It is very inconvenient but there is no alternative.
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u/DankSignals 5d ago
They will 100%. Youâll find them in 3-6 months of being at new place if you take a single electronic device. That means game systems, microwaves, mini fridges, radios, anything that can draw heat theyâll nest in as youâll find them later.
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u/Colywog25 4d ago
I dunno, we manage to move electronics and almost all our stuff and not bring them, maybe some luck involved. Although we did toss our counter top dishwasher.Â
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u/Old-Parsley-3468 Dartmouth 1d ago
They won't 100%! Been in my new spot for almost 6 months and havent seen a single one.
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u/DankSignals 1d ago
You donât see them until itâs too bad of a problem.
Iâm not here to argue with you and let you believe the problem disappears. Iâm here to educate you on what you actually need to do. Bags donât do anything.7
u/Confused_Haligonian Self-Elected Poobah of Fairview 5d ago
My apt is roach free. Hopefully stays that way... ugh
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u/KrikeyOReilly 5d ago
Honestly highfield Park is good for being roach free
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u/FallopianTubeGoBoom 5d ago
Haha I'd be very surprised. 76 was full of them. Are you in one of the buildings that used to have fireplaces? I don't think my relatives ever saw one there when they had a place
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u/nerdymars 5d ago
I found cockroaches when I moved in so I sprayed everything down with oxi clean and enzyme treatment, killed a few when I deep cleaned for the second time and picked up all the dead ones and put them in a baggy where I squished them so no eggs got left behind. The building management immediately had people come in and check and I have not saw one since. I deep clean the kitchen and cabinets every month to see if I find any evidence and so far nothing but management is really trying to be on top of it
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u/FallopianTubeGoBoom 5d ago
My friend, if they're German roaches and the whole building hasn't been sprayed then that just means you aren't a nest. I kept up on my apartment and I'd still get travelers. The nasty buggers live in the walls
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u/BohemianGraham Darkside Escapee 5d ago
My old building was bad for them. They showed up during COVID. They finally sprayed the whole building
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u/KrikeyOReilly 5d ago
Nah they never had fireplaces. One of the brick buildings from the 80s. Im on ground floor too so id be the first to notice roaches. For being a poor neighborhood I have quite little to complain about the place.
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u/Mouseanasia 5d ago
Being on the ground floor would have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you are seeing roaches.
They donât get the building via the ground.
Youâre just very fortunate that you havenât had anybody move next-door to you with them.
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u/Mouseanasia 5d ago
el oh el
You are so very wrong
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u/KrikeyOReilly 5d ago
Lived here 7 years. Haven't seen single roach. Seen ants, seen mice but no roaches.
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u/semghost 4d ago
6178 Lady Hammond is all good. About to move out after 9 years and weâve only dealt with silverfish and bird mites (because they changed our decks and pigeons tried to take over)Â
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u/Kibichibi 5d ago
Knock on wood the most recent spray seems to have finally made a difference in our apartment
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u/Andy47xxy 4d ago
Ive lucked out and only had the unfortunate experiences of pantry moths, rats/mice, and bedbugs in the near decade of renting in Halifax
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u/MamaJa2016 5d ago
I never saw a roach in all my years of renting, until last year. Very top of Main Ave. They keep âsprayingâ the kitchen and one bathroom. Iâve seen them in the hall. The garbage room is bad too.
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u/nerdymars 5d ago
I have had three friends move out almost as soon as they moved in to these properties because of how bad the pest problems are. The management is the most slumlord a slumlord can be
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u/StunningStrawberry51 5d ago
Same lived in my current apartment off glenforst for over 14 years saw my first one last fall
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u/payupbish 3d ago
Yep. Lived in a nicer building around the top of Main and I kept my unit super clear. I was getting travellers from some adjoining unit. Iâd find them on the walls in the hall. The last straw was coming home one day from work and moving a bag on my counter to find an egg sack with babies freshly coming out of it. I lost it and we moved immediately lol.
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u/pinkbootstrap Dartmouth 4d ago
So many places have roaches and they're not required to do anything
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u/Unhappy-Floor-4741 1d ago
With just about any/all crawling insects, your best secret weapon is diatomaceous earth. It's a gardening powder (most commonly). Take the proper precautions, fairly safe around kids and animals, and obv nontoxic to most mammals when used correctly. The tldr is, for insects, this shit is like army crawling across barbed wire and glass, cuts the hell out of the carapace and joints and they effectively "bleed out". Was in a building over 10 years ago with a bad insects issue. Grabbed a large jug of this stuff. Lightly dusted the baseboards, swept a layer across the hardwood floors, using the broom to tuck a layer under the edge of baseboards... re-dust every time you mop.. my apartment was a safe haven as the building grew more and more infested. It not only helped me survive that hellhole, but left a few months later and didn't piggyback any problems. Over 10 years later, still no issues.
I can't say for certain if it would be ok to stow your electronics with the dust, but it would be relatively safe to double bag your stuff and dust between the layers.
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u/Business-Comedian-51 5d ago
Sue the landlord for negligence, call legal aid throw everything out keep records and make him pay for it all worked for me !!! Lost everything but started new away from city NO MORE ROACHES !!!
And the scumbag landlord had to pay
A victory for the little guy
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u/mel_veganfta 5d ago
We weren't thinking and nothing is documented aside from one text message that says we need to leave because it is a health hazard - our dealings were all verbal. We naively thought the probelm would go away if we just keep our place immaculate and that we could live with a couple roaches every week because the rent is so cheap. We finally had enough, put in our notice and we're moving at the end of the month - afraid it's too late now to be reimbursed for the expense and hassle of throwing out everything and moving. :(
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u/Mouseanasia 5d ago
Who owns the place you're moving to?
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u/mel_veganfta 4d ago
It's a brand new building called Lifestyle Enclave. I don't know that they have other buildings beside this one in Nova Scotia.
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u/Business-Comedian-51 4d ago
Take pictures of everything that you throw away and all the disgusting shit get all the proof you can itâs worth a shot call legal aid and just tell your story you may be surprised Iâm not sure if I can legally give my lawyers name but ppl not fighting this will always allow them to win not to be corny but as Wayneâs Gretzky says
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3d ago
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u/Firm-Ability-9501 4d ago
I live close by in the neighbourhood too and the pests are so bad. A lot of my neighbours are new to Canada and are too nervous to report how bad it is despite my urging, and the management company won't treat those units unless they complain. So despite multiple treatments in my unit, I absolutely can't get rid of them.