How to talk to your neighbors--and your landlord--about bed bugs

Unlike co-op and condo owners, renters depend on the goodwill, sophistication, and proactiveness of their landlord and management company when it comes to controlling the spread of bed bugs in their building.   As BrickUnderground's Bedbugged! series chronicles, that's a pretty vulnerable position to be in. Tenants often must band together to get their landlord to focus on the problem and bring the right tools to bear on it.  

Fortunately, the bed bug activist site New York vs Bed Bugs has posted a couple of helpful communication tools:  A one-sheet for communicating with neighbors, which pairs a quick bed bug eduction with an invitation to attend a tenant meeting.   Elsewhere, the site has posted a sample letter to building management.  

Why is the letter effective?  

Among other reasons, explains the post that accompanies it, "It is polite, reasonable and diligent. You’ve heard of 'fake it til you make it?' Right. So, even if you are not feeling particularly well-disposed, it is extremely important to appear to be polite and reasonable. I add diligent because I think it makes a difference in elevating the tone and purpose of any such conversation if it is clear from the outset that you have done your homework. What happens when someone receives a letter like this? One possible result is that they are compelled to be (or appear to be) polite, reasonable and diligent in return."

(NewYorkvsBedBugs.org)