Inaccessible dead rat in attic

[Robert B Azimi]

Tenant reports hearing noise in attic and shortly after the creature made a hole on the ceiling in the closet which tenant covered with wood block 

now the tenant says the creature noise has stopped but reports foul smell 

we inspected the property and smelled no foul odor furthermore the area the creature was allegedly active is not accessible from attic 

the tenant is demanding the landlord start making random holes into the ceiling and look for and retrieve the body of the late rat 

the drywall has asbestos and making holes into it makes no sense 

please advise 

[Denise Supplee]

 Since there’s no verified odor and the area isn’t accessible from the attic, it wouldn’t be reasonable, or safe to start cutting into asbestos-containing drywall without evidence of an active issue. A better next step is to bring in a licensed pest control or wildlife professional to document whether there’s any carcass or activity. If nothing is found, that documentation protects you and helps set expectations with the tenant. You can also offer to monitor the area, but cutting into asbestos drywall without cause would create a bigger health and safety risk than the original complaint.