Question about Pest Control

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Question: I wanted some feed back on how you landlords handle pest control. One of my renters has complained about big cockroaches and, now, mice. I paid to have the house treated for roaches about a month ago, and then she called me a few weeks later with a complaint about mice. When my bug man went over to treat for mice, he said that the roaches were still there. I paid him $65 to treat the first time and am probably going to have to pay him another $65 to treat for mice. How do y'all handle pest control with your tenants? I always want to keep my tenants happy but the costs are adding up and I want to be reasonable too! Thanks so much!

[Marcia Maynard]

We cover this with our rental agreement.... here's a clause that might be useful for you to add as an addendum to yours.

PEST MANAGEMENT. Tenant agrees to be responsible for maintaining a clean environment to discourage pest infestation and agrees to report to Landlord any signs of pest problems in a timely manner. Tenant agrees to pay for damages and pest eradication if pest infestation occurs as a result of their action or inaction. Multi-family buildings: Landlord will provide services for ongoing pest management. Single-family houses: Tenant agrees to provide for adequate pest control, including, but not limited to preventing and eliminating destructive insects, rodents, and reptiles found on the premises.

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The key will be to determine the root cause of the infestation, to determine your most effective pest management strategy.

How clean and tidy does the tenant keep their home?

How soon did the tenant initially report the problem and have they kept you updated on the status of the situation?

Did the tenant bring items into the house from elsewhere with a "stowaway pest" on board? Tenants who moved there from infested quarters and those who frequent garage sales/thrift stores will be more likely to bring in pests.

Is there rodent "pressure" on the house from the outside (many rodents in the area) and openings in the structure that need to be closed up (pest exclusion)?

Whatever your approach, the tenant must step up to the plate to be part of the solution, so you need to engage them in taking preventative steps to keep their home pest free. Good luck!