Who Is Responsible For Pest Control? 

Getting rid of pests is not a one-person job. Both tenants and landlords need to take steps to keep a rental home pest-free. While a lot of work goes into managing a successful pest control campaign, following a few simple steps will ensure that the problem will be handled as quickly as possible. 

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A good lease will state the responsibilities of each party. The tenant is responsible for taking care of the apartment’s most mundane tasks, such as vacuuming the floors, emptying the trash, and keeping food and drink sealed. In some states, the tenant can even withhold rent. If the tenant is unable to resolve a pest problem on their own, the landlord will likely be forced to pay the exterminator’s bill. 

The best way to minimize the risk of pest problems is to hire a professional to take care of the problem. In addition to the obvious reasons for keeping a clean and sanitary property, a regular schedule of pest exterminations will keep rodents, insects, and other pests from wreaking havoc on your investment. 

In addition to a routine schedule of pest exterminations, landlords should make sure that the home is free of cracks and leaks, as well as other potential pest entry points. While this may sound like a trivial thing to check off your list, it is a big deal if you live in a place that has an abundance of rats, roaches, and other rodents. 

As a landlord, you must be able to identify, detect, and remediate problems with your property before a new tenant moves in. The key to success is to take pictures of areas that are unsanitary or that haven’t been properly cleaned and to take the appropriate measures to remedy the issue. A thorough inspection is also a must. 

A savvy landlord will also research state and local laws before he or she enters into a lease agreement. This includes a cursory review of the Structural Pest Control Board PDF, which is a comprehensive guide to the state’s regulations and best practices. This will enable a landlord to protect himself or herself from civil litigation should a tenant decide to claim that a pest infestation was the fault of the landlord. 

The lease also might include a clause that addresses the topic of pest control. This is especially useful for landlords who have no experience in handling these issues. This should be the first line of defense in the event that a tenant claims that the landlord was at fault for a pest problem. If the tenant has no prior experience in dealing with a landlord, they might be surprised to learn that the landlord is a bit of a slacker. 

In the event that a lease does not contain a pest control clause, it is advisable to ask the landlord if he or she has had any pest issues before. In many cases, the earliest signs of a pest problem are a good indicator of what’s to come.