Tenant saw one roach and wants apartment fumigated

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Tenant saw one roach and wants apartment fumigated

Ryan Redenius
Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 17 posts · 5 votes

I have a tenant of two years who wants me to fumigate the apartment after she killed one roach in her unit this morning.  She keeps her unit very clean, so I want to keep her as a tenant, but she does tend to overreact and ask for a lot.  I get not wanting to live in a unit with roaches, but my immediate reaction is that one roach in 2 years doesn't signify a larger infestation that requires action on my part.  She is on a standard city of Chicago lease.

The unit above her is clean as well.  There is a garden unit below that is a little more buggy, but I think that most garden units are due to moisture.  I've never had any other complaints from tenants.

She wants me to take action before this becomes a larger problem, but I don't think it's justified today.  Who is right?  Appreciate any advice as to how you all would address this.  Thanks.

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Jill F.
Investor · Akron, OH · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 4k+ votes
5y
If you have one roach you can see, you have a thousand you cant see. Get Advion bait stations and give them to her and the other tenants if you want to get rid of them.
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  • Jill F.
    Investor · Akron, OH · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    5y
    If you have one roach you can see, you have a thousand you cant see. Get Advion bait stations and give them to her and the other tenants if you want to get rid of them.
    4Reply
  • Russell W.
    Rental Property Investor · IL · Member since 2015 · 165 posts · 107 votes
    5y

    Yea I would say fumigation is a big leap at this point. Appease her and help yourself avoid a bigger issue down the road by placing some bait stations and borax where pets can't get to them (if you allow pets in the building) and reassess in a few weeks. 

    1Reply
  • Paul De Luca
    Real Estate Agent · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y

    @Ryan Redenius

    I would hire a pest control company to investigate further and see if more aggressive measures are needed. It will appease your tenant if there's nothing serious and shouldn't cost much either. If the pest control tech finds that you do need to do some pest mitigation/extermination you can discuss potential next steps. Like @Russell W. said fumigation is a very big leap at this point. 

    0Reply
  • Jinhee Hann
    Lake Oswego, OR · Member since 2020 · 58 posts · 24 votes
    5y

    @Ryan Redenius

    Get it done! It will be inexpensive, keep your good tenant happy and possibly prevent an infestation. If I was your tenant, I would freak out too

    2Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y

    Ordinary pest control is a tenant responsibility in my lease. This is especially true if the Tenant has lived there for two years. Tell her to pay for it out of pocket or get a solid size-9 at Goodwill to smash 'em!

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7248 Reviews
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    1Reply
  • Suzette T.
    Rental Property Investor · Acadiana / South Louisiana · Member since 2019 · 115 posts · 49 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Ryan Redenius:

    I have a tenant of two years who wants me to fumigate the apartment after she killed one roach in her unit this morning.  She keeps her unit very clean, so I want to keep her as a tenant, but she does tend to overreact and ask for a lot.  I get not wanting to live in a unit with roaches, but my immediate reaction is that one roach in 2 years doesn't signify a larger infestation that requires action on my part.  She is on a standard city of Chicago lease.

    The unit above her is clean as well.  There is a garden unit below that is a little more buggy, but I think that most garden units are due to moisture.  I've never had any other complaints from tenants.

    She wants me to take action before this becomes a larger problem, but I don't think it's justified today.  Who is right?  Appreciate any advice as to how you all would address this.  Thanks.

     Ryan I can tell you about what I did. And how that came back to bite me.

    We had tenants moved in and the wife did just that. She was really excited about having seen a roach. Here in Louisiana this is super common. It is not a sign of uncleanliness. There is so much humidity and wet wood and old trees that there are roaches. It's sort of just a part of life in Louisiana. However I agreed in the least to pay for pest control once a year. So I called the guy out and that was that. However what this led to was an expectation of my being an urgent and immediate problem solver rather than a property manager. It was not beneficial in the long run for us to have provided this. 

    Roach spray around the outside ( very important!) and inside of the home, along baseboards especially, before you leave for an outing. Usually does the trick for us. Depending on the size of your home she may need one two or three cans. This probably won't cost anywhere over $20.

    ...of course all the disclaimers I am not a pest professional, just my own experience.

    1Reply
  • Joe SplitrockPro Member
    Moderator
    Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
    5y

    @Ryan Redenius in cold weather climates, **** roaches are brought into the property by tenants. Either her or someone in another unit carried them in. Used furniture or donated clothing are common sources. You can even carry them in after traveling in your luggage. 

    The bad news is that rarely there is one. If you see one, there are probably hundreds and they multiply quickly. I agree with @Nathan Gesner that your lease should state it is tenants responsibility. That is fine in single family because there is no question who brought the **** roaches into the property. The trouble in multifamily is the other tenants in the building could be the source of the problem. ALL the units need to be treated to eradicate the infestation. 

    I am not sure fumigating the unit is the right approach. If you hire a professional, they will come out and spray in cabinets and other likely areas of infestation. They will set traps and monitor progress of treatments. Usually several return visits are required an they keep leaving traps to make sure they are all gone. 

    My advice is hire a professional and get ahead of this. If you wait until it gets worse, it will be harder to fix the problem. Have all the units treated and traps set out. 

    Have a long discussion with all tenants about prevention. Specifically keeping unit clean and never buying used furniture. Unless you live in a warm climate, cockroaches are being carried in, so make it clear to your tenants that one of them is the source of this problem.

    1Reply
  • Jonathan KlemmBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Contractor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    @Ryan Redenius - I completely understand your tenant's frustration and your situation.  I guess my recommendation would be to start with something simple like the roach traps at home depot.  They can go a long way and also provide your tenant with some additional comfort that you are taking the proper steps to address the issue.  Then if the problem seems to persistent then bring in a pest expert.

    I have a couple great referrals for pest and insecet issues.  Let me know if I can

    [email protected]
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  • Jennifer Lyles
    Real Estate Broker · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 52 posts · 41 votes
    5y

    @Ryan Redenius  Does your lease state that you are responsible for pest control?  If not, this should fall on the tenant.  If it does, you may be able to do just one treatment and be fine.  I agree, 1 roach does not constitute an infestation and it could just be coming in do to the weather.  

    1Reply
  • John Warren
    Real Estate Broker · 3412 S. Harlem Avenue Riverside, IL 60546 · Member since 2015 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    5y

    @Ryan Redenius pest control is one of the less glamorous parts of the job when you jump into multifamily. I have never purchased a building in the past five years that didn't have issues as it seems that all of the larger buildings here in Chicago have ongoing issues when they are poorly managed. I ended up finding a great local mom and pop exterminator that I use to do regular extermination visits and this has solved the problems for the most part. 

    In multifamily buildings you are going to want to take control of this and pay for it. You can't pass this to the tenants as the one reporting it probably is not the problem. If you let it get out of control it will just be more expensive to take care of and will drive out the good tenants. 

    2Reply
  • Cory Thorbeck
    Member since 2021 · 20 posts · 2 votes
    5y

    Find a an exterminator that is inexpensive. Explain the situation to him or her. Have him inspect with your tenant present, even if you know you aren't in need of a fumigation. Then have him explain and access that a fumigation isn't exactly needed. Maybe offer the tenant permission on her own dime since the condition is not at threshold requiring it.

    0Reply
  • Crystal SmithPro Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Ryan Redenius:

    I have a tenant of two years who wants me to fumigate the apartment after she killed one roach in her unit this morning.  She keeps her unit very clean, so I want to keep her as a tenant, but she does tend to overreact and ask for a lot.  I get not wanting to live in a unit with roaches, but my immediate reaction is that one roach in 2 years doesn't signify a larger infestation that requires action on my part.  She is on a standard city of Chicago lease.

    The unit above her is clean as well.  There is a garden unit below that is a little more buggy, but I think that most garden units are due to moisture.  I've never had any other complaints from tenants.

    She wants me to take action before this becomes a larger problem, but I don't think it's justified today.  Who is right?  Appreciate any advice as to how you all would address this.  Thanks.

    Your tenant is right and is actually doing you a favor. If she saw one roach that means there are thousands hidden in the wall. I would hire an exterminator right away & have him come to your property at least once per year. We include that in our yearly budget for all our properties.

    312-681-7487
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  • Jennifer T.Pro Member
    Investor · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 944 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Suzette T.:
    Originally posted by @Ryan Redenius:

    I have a tenant of two years who wants me to fumigate the apartment after she killed one roach in her unit this morning.  She keeps her unit very clean, so I want to keep her as a tenant, but she does tend to overreact and ask for a lot.  I get not wanting to live in a unit with roaches, but my immediate reaction is that one roach in 2 years doesn't signify a larger infestation that requires action on my part.  She is on a standard city of Chicago lease.

    The unit above her is clean as well.  There is a garden unit below that is a little more buggy, but I think that most garden units are due to moisture.  I've never had any other complaints from tenants.

    She wants me to take action before this becomes a larger problem, but I don't think it's justified today.  Who is right?  Appreciate any advice as to how you all would address this.  Thanks.

     Ryan I can tell you about what I did. And how that came back to bite me.

    We had tenants moved in and the wife did just that. She was really excited about having seen a roach. Here in Louisiana this is super common. It is not a sign of uncleanliness. There is so much humidity and wet wood and old trees that there are roaches. It's sort of just a part of life in Louisiana. However I agreed in the least to pay for pest control once a year. So I called the guy out and that was that. However what this led to was an expectation of my being an urgent and immediate problem solver rather than a property manager. It was not beneficial in the long run for us to have provided this. 

    Roach spray around the outside ( very important!) and inside of the home, along baseboards especially, before you leave for an outing. Usually does the trick for us. Depending on the size of your home she may need one two or three cans. This probably won't cost anywhere over $20.

    ...of course all the disclaimers I am not a pest professional, just my own experience.

    I can't speak for colder climates and am not downplaying any other advice.

    But the bolded was definitely my thought.  One roach?  Well my goodness, that's just an average Tuesday in New Orleans, lol!

    2Reply
  • Pat L.
    Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    Friend of ours had a small apt building & the roaches took over fast. Tenants were bringing in bags of rice, storing trash on the balconies etc & I believe he was still fighting them a couple of years later when he gave up & sold the place. 

    0Reply
  • Dennis Wayne
    Member since 2020 · 339 posts · 356 votes
    5y

    Roaches are demonic and hard to get rid of . Assume this is a huge deal and there’s 57000 in the unit . As hill mentioned if you see one there’s thousands . I just go to Home Depot buy a roach kit by Harris for 29$ and spray myself then instruct the tenant on doing it once I leave .

    I’ve become somewhat of a roach bed big flea expert and buy the stuff in bulk to do my own pest control (d class rentals) . Those services can be very expensive! Edie silly on a 3-4 unit apartment building . Learn to handle your own pest control save thousands over the years ! Now on a rental house I would have tenant call an exterminator . Apartments you better do it yourself or it don’t happen

    0Reply
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