A swarm of roaches at a Dayton house is a nightmare for the man living next door.

"I'm sitting here trying to defend my home from a massive infestation, which I'm losing the battle on," said James Manning.

His calls, emails and media stories eventually landed him a visit from the mayor.

"The trouble is, we have a bunch of landlords that don't care and they rent to people that don't care, and all they're focused on is the money," said Gary Leitzell, Mayor of Dayton.

David Luther lives down the street from the house with the road infestation.  He showed us what he called his own rental nightmare.

"When we got this place, it was mainly for my son," said Luther.  His son and daughter-in-law had a baby on the way.

Inside the Luther rental home, we saw rags used to dam up water leaking from the kitchen sink.

We saw light fixtures with alleged live wires exposed.

"I touched it. That's how I know," said Luther.

He also pointed out a toilet that never stops running, a rusty water heated, dismantled duct work and what appeared to be mold in the basement.

News Center 7's Layron Livingston called the landlord, who said the property had new wiring and there was nothing wrong in the house.

David Luther and his family were forced to find a new place to live.

As he moved out Luther said, "I wouldn't want to see another family go through this."

Court records show Luther was evicted for not paying rent.

Our investigation found many other Dayton renters were evicted this year for not paying rent.  

It has happened at the apartment building where Susan Johnson lives.  She says the apartment above her has a bedbug infestation.

"it's bad up there. Don't go in there.  If you do, shake yourself off or come down here and I'll spray you," said Johnson.

Susan is disabled and said she cannot afford to relocate right now. 

The resident upstairs did not want to be identified but she did show us the bedbugs under her furniture.

That landlord was also contacted by telephone and did not return our call.

Randall Smith of the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center says renters do have rights.

"The minute you sign that lease, you can force the landlord to repair those issues because he has to comply with the Ohio revised code," said Smith.

He also advises tenants to call their local health department and housing inspection department when problems arise.  

Escrowing rent, according to Smith, is a good legal option.

Dayton's mayor said the house filled with roaches could be forced to a sheriff's sale.  If the owners are late on their taxes one more year, James Manning could buy the place next door for that amount and do anything he wants with the property. .  

"What we have to do is find easier ways for citizens to take control of the neighborhood," said Leitzell. 

Manning said for now, he just wants to get rid of the roaches next door.  

For more information you can click the following link to view the Landord Tenant Handbook.