He spent 8 years living in a bedbug nightmare. Now he wants his city to take action

A man from Woodstock, Ont. is fed up with fighting pests in different apartments and wants both the city and province to launch a public registry that will help renters dodge properties with infestations.

For approximately five years, Shawn Comer lived in an apartment in Hamilton that he says was crawling with bedbugs. He moved to other cities in Ontario, but when he landed in a seven-storey apartment in Woodstock in 2021, he discovered bedbugs once again.

"It's a nightmare," said Comer. "If there was a registry, I wouldn't have moved into that building because it would have either been dealt with, or I would have known about it." 

With a public registry, tenants would be able to report bedbug issues to the municipality by providing an address. The address would remain on the registry to show the public whether the infestation problem is resolved or ongoing, Comer said. 

The start of the nightmare

He's been pushing the issue since 2014 when he first complained to Hamilton city council about the infestation in his Queen Street S. apartment. He told them at that time that the pests were crawling over his elderly mother, who had Alzheimer's disease.

He said being on social assistance meant he couldn't afford higher rent.

Last month, Comer made pamphlets and handed them out to other residents, urging them to call the mayor and bylaw to report problems with any pests. He said the response was positive, with some people thanking him for taking the initiative and saying they would.

The city of Woodstock was not able to confirm the exact number of complaints regarding bedbugs since Jan. 1, 2023 but said it's not a serious issue.

"Bedbugs are not an issue we receive many complaints or inquiries about (maybe one every few years)," wrote Colleen Collins, communications manager at city of Woodstock.

According to a document detailing tenants' rights in Ontario from Southwestern Public Health, tenants are responsible for cooperating with a landlord's efforts to control bedbugs.

Comer said his landlord Porta Holdings Ltd. has sprayed for bedbugs several times in the past but has not eradicated the pests. He said they've stopped dealing with it.

CBC News has reached out to the property owner for comment but has not yet received a response. 

Comer explains he worries about his neighbours, many of whom are elderly, saying they might not have the ability or energy to file complaints.

"There was a guy next door to me — had no legs and a stent sticking out of his chest," said Comer about his elderly neighbour. "I could see through his T-shirt and he told me he was getting eaten alive by bedbugs when I was putting the door seal after I just moved in."

He hopes someone will act on creating a public registry because he notes the Landlord Tenant Board is backed up with complains. 

"The Tenancy Act —  it's not working anymore because of its slowness and lethargic nature," said Comer. "I believe the registry can eliminate a lot of caseload."