Bed bugs found on walls and furniture in Brookline apartment
Brookline Condo Condemned After 100,000 Bed Bugs Found in Unit
Brookline, USA. June 26, 2025, …ONN…
An estimated 100,000 bed bugs have infested a condominium unit in the Concorde Condominiums near Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts, causing serious distress among neighbors. Residents report months of frustration as the infestation, worsened by hoarding and mental health issues, spread to at least seven other units.
The Brookline Health Department condemned the unit in May, calling it “unfit for human habitation.” Inspectors found bugs on walls, ceilings, furniture, and floors, with trash making the kitchen and bathroom unusable. Despite this, property management needed a court order to access the unit.
Now that a judge’s deadline has passed, a cleaning crew is expected to begin clearing out the condo next week. Most belongings will be discarded. Meanwhile, two residents have already moved out, and others remain concerned about how long the issue has gone unaddressed.
The infestation, described by officials as one of the worst in the town’s history, was found inside an apartment occupied by an elderly woman reportedly struggling with mental health challenges and severe hoarding behavior.
During their inspection, health workers discovered bed bugs across nearly every surface, walls, ceilings, doors, floors, and the hallway outside the unit.
“The danger to the life or health of any occupants is so immediate that immediate condemnation is ordered,” the town wrote in its official notice.
Experts from Dewey Pest and Wildlife called the conditions “deplorable,” stating that “most inspectable surfaces and items in the unit have been heavily contaminated by bed bugs and their feces,” according to Brookline News.
Residents throughout the building have begun deep cleaning and discarding potentially contaminated belongings. But for many, it’s not enough.
“This thing has been going on now for two months,” said Richard Rubin, who lives down the hall from the affected unit. “Two people moved out because of this. It’s very frustrating to a lot of tenants.”
Rubin expressed his frustration during a recent Brookline Select Board meeting, urging town officials to act faster and intervene more decisively.
“As a building, we cannot get social services to go in and do anything. We don’t have the power. We don’t have the clout. You guys do. But nobody will exercise that power,” he said.
One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, described suffering more than 40 bed bug bites, one of which became infected.
“Just sleeping at night knowing you’re getting eaten alive is unsettling,” the resident told Brookline News.
Brookline Town Administrator Charles Carey said legal procedures delayed action, but now that the court has granted access, the town and property management can move forward with cleanup and support efforts.
What will happen to the unit’s owner remains uncertain, though officials and neighbors hope that local agencies can provide the assistance she needs after the infestation is contained.
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