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Students weren’t the only ones moving into university-owned housing at the start of the quarter.
Upon move-in, many Bruins discovered insects, including bedbugs and ants, had also been taking over their living spaces. These discoveries followed similar findings of cockroaches, among other cleanliness and safety problems in apartments such as Westwood Chateau, about a year ago as students alleged communication hurdles with UCLA Housing.
In fact, throughout the past few years, there has been no shortage of students complaining on social media platforms about uncovering bugs in the areas in which they live.
According to an emailed statement from UCLA Housing, apartments that housed summer occupants are cleaned before the next move-in, while those that did not have occupants are cleaned regularly over the summer. But UCLA Housing added that because of the tight interim between summer move-out and fall move-in, housekeeping may have accidentally skipped units they were supposed to examine.
Should students suspect they are facing a bedbug infestation, they can contact their 24-hour front desk attendant if they are in an on-campus building, or they can contact the rental office or apartment coordinator if they are in an off-campus building, according to the UCLA Housing website.
While UCLA responds case by case – in prior years, sometimes slowly and with delays – students continue to unearth more and more evidence of infestations.
After so many repeated occurrences of pest problems, it seems long past time for the university to reevaluate its cleaning, inspection and treatment protocols to more proactively address cleanliness in both dorms and apartments. Despite UCLA’s existing policies, the university clearly has the potential to be more thorough and work to preempt a pest problem from existing in the first place.
Of course, with the thousands of students who move in and out of dorms and apartments, problems with bugs can rarely be fully avoided throughout the school year, even when the university puts in its best preventive efforts to ensure cleanliness.
At the very least, students should and do expect UCLA Housing to assist residents in a timely and more efficient manner.
Residents can request to be moved to another living space after reaching out to UCLA Housing – but only if pests are confirmed will residents be relocated straight away, according to UCLA Housing. A pest management company will remedy the infested room during that period, meaning residents may not return to their room for the seven to 10 days over which UCLA Housing said the process occurs.
UCLA Housing also said on the website that those in university-owned apartments would be permanently moved to another unit unless an open one is not available.
However, in the past, students have noted miscommunication with UCLA Housing entities regarding the timeline for maintenance to arrive, with some adding that front desk members did not seem to know proper protocol.
Under certain circumstances, delays can raise safety concerns, particularly for those who may face health problems resulting from pests. Although bedbug bites are generally not considered to be life-threatening, individuals who experience an allergic reaction to bites may need medical attention, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cockroaches can also trigger allergic reactions, according to Healthline.
UCLA Housing – whether that’s front desk or maintenance – must be trained to be more efficient, organized and prepared to deal with unwanted pests. While UCLA Housing places focus on individual cases, it must also reexamine what it can do to limit the spread of infestations before students begin moving in and attending classes.
Bruins living in university-owned housing fall asleep each night, but the university must ensure that the bedbugs don’t bite.
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