Tenant says there seeing rats ?

[Mark Weinstock]

Trying to figure out the best way to handle this ?

Tenant mentions to me yesterday that she thinks she has mice or rats in the house then today she calls and puts me on the phone with an Okin pest control sales guy

The guy is telling me the attic is showing signs of rodent droppings and telling me we need to be on a monthly maintenance $68 a month?

Who should be responsible for this me or the tenant ?

[Mitch Messer]

Hi @Mark Weinstock. This probably isn't too worrisome: Now that the weather is getting cooler, critters are looking for warm places to camp out.

Since the attic is a part of the home where it's likely the tenant didn't directly cause the problem, we generally take responsibility as the landlord. The problem is usually that rodents have gnawed their way through a soffit to gain access. As landlords, we need to be hyper-sensitive to any threat to the integrity of the structure.

However, I'd recommend you get your own pest control folks to do an assessment and give you a quote. You want someone who either has a relationship with you or at least would value one.

I already don't like the sales guy your tenant contacted. The quote should cover exclusion (sealing the access points so no new critters can enter) and trapping (to catch any rodents trapped inside). Once this is done, there should be no need for monthly maintenance.

Good luck!