New to me 4unit with German roaches bad tenants...

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New to me 4unit with German roaches bad tenants...

John Gach
Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 62 posts · 56 votes

So just bought a 4-plex, it has 2 vacancy’s and 2 poorer tenants that are leased through an agency. Just got the keys a few days ago, so I cleaned the one unit a little, ended up seeing some German cockroaches, so with the current tenants I’m not sure if I should just evict them because if they’re dirty slobs, I’ll probably never fix the roach issue.

My plan with the building was to make it nicer and get more of a market rate rent for the units. It would have been nice if It didn’t have the roaches, then I would keep the tenants as I fix up the vacancy’s but now I think it would probably be best to kick them out because I’ll never be able to get a good tenant in there if I can’t get the roach infestation takin care of.

Thoughts?

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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
7y

never heard of roach's with a nationality.. been in houses though with those things scouring about.. its not by accident its the occupants way of living.

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  • Karl B.
    Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    7y

    You could always have a pest control guy view the property to get an idea as to where the infestation originated. Get the pest control workers' opinion and find out if he thinks he can eradicate the roaches (bratwurst might coax them off the property - kidding) in the event the current tenants are part of the roach problem. 

    Then have the pest control guy talk to the tenants and tell them what to do/what not to do to keep the roaches away. It'd be nice to keep receiving that rent while you rehab the two vacant units.

    1Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    7y

    never heard of roach's with a nationality.. been in houses though with those things scouring about.. its not by accident its the occupants way of living.

    Podcast Guest on Show #222
    JLH Capital Partners51 Review
    WebsiteView Page
    3Reply
  • Scott Mac
    Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    7y

    Hi John,

    Slide the refrigerator out and look at the floor under it.

    If it looks like a grease and filth area that could be a lot of the draw.

    Same with the stove.

    Also when the Exterminator gets there, meet him there and walk through the unit and outside with him.

    He may recommend plugging certain cracks or etc (take cell pics of everything he recommends so you don't forget and miss one.

    Sometimes (if needed) you can get outdoor flea eradication added for just a little more.

    (also not all residents own a vacuum cleaner, goodwill has cheap ones they can buy sometimes)

    (possums eat roaches, if they are native to the property do not chase them off)

    Good Luck!

    1Reply
  • Dante Feria
    Rental Property Investor · Columbus and Jonesboro GA · Member since 2019 · 72 posts · 56 votes
    7y

    I have used Maxforce FC Magum by Bayer to kill German roach infestation, remove all outlet and switch cover and dab a pea size of maxforce behind the cover. Do the same behind the fridge , dishwasher and under the sink. It takes a week or more to eradicate it. Get the gun applicator to have a better control spreading it. 

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  • Peter TverdovBusiness Member
    Developer · New Brunswick, NJ · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    7y

    Hire an exterminator to do the job right. That's what we do. We dealt with this problem in June. Got a new property management client on board who told us how great his properties were (you all think this BTW), welp, night before move in we found german roaches. We chucked the appliances where their nest was (dishwasher) treated twice (both the infected unit and an additional unit not infected but just to be safe) and within a month they were gone. 

    OP, there might be a clause in their Lease that gives you the option to evict or at least post a notice to quit that warns them from repeating the behavior.

    [email protected]732-289-3823
    1Reply
  • Ron Martin
    Homeowner · Dumfries, VA · Member since 2016 · 26 posts · 14 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:

    never heard of roach's with a nationality.. been in houses though with those things scouring about.. its not by accident its the occupants way of living.

     Blattella germanica, the German cockroach. 

    1Reply
  • John Gach
    OP
    Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 62 posts · 56 votes
    7y

    So I basically upon getting the keys of the home, in the hall of upstairs there was a garbage bag of garbage possibly left in the hall for who knows how long.

    I did remove that yesterday, today I cleaned and haven’t seen a live roach. I mopped the walls and floors lol, pulled the fridge out, didn’t find anything under it, same with stove. The place needs a lot of work for sure. I bought some of the roach killing chemicals/gel etc that I found recommended in a post on BiggerPockets, so when I get that in I will use it.

    Although today I didn’t see any roaches, so I will keep cleaning and wait til I see more before I determine if I should kick the tenants out.

    1Reply
  • Lee L.
    Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2014 · 285 posts · 142 votes
    7y

    Perhaps just give the units a good scrubbing. advion gel from amazon is great for killing roaches, btw. 

    2Reply
  • John Gach
    OP
    Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 62 posts · 56 votes
    7y

    So some good news, only 1 tenant is left. One of them moved out from problems with the old landlord. The case worker for that tenant needs to schedule to clean out the place though, but I would say it’s super messy so that means most likely roaches there too

    So down to 1 last tenant who is cleaner but I wouldn’t consider them that clean of people.

    So should I ask them if they see roaches in their apartment? If I bring up the fact there are roaches could that give them reason to stop paying me for rent? Or would it force me to hire pest control. I plan to use the stuff I bought once I get it in the mail to kill the roaches.

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