Pest Control. Should landlord pay for it?

Question

Is it common for landlords to pay for pest control?

Kyle J. · Answer

@Aaron Rowell What type of property is it?

I rent out single family houses that are guaranteed pest-free when I initially rent them. (If not, the tenants just have to let me know within the first month and I’ll send someone out to treat them.) After that, pest control is the tenant’s responsibility per the lease.

On the other hand, if we were talking about a large multi family property, then I think it’s better that the landlord/property management company oversee pest control since it’s too difficult to treat each unit individually. (Not to mention some units may choose not to even treat if it were up to them.)

If one unit is infested, and you only treat that one unit, the pests could just move to another connected unit. You’d just end up chasing them around, but never getting rid of them or controlling them. You need a coordinated plan of attack.

So to me, the type of property makes a big difference about who should be responsible for the pest control.

Just my two cents.

Patricia Steiner · Answer

Our lease states that the tenant is responsible for pest control and the landlord is responsible for extermination of termites/rodents.  As most of our properties do not have garbage disposals, we want to make the tenant responsible for properly disposing of food/waste in outdoor covered bins.  State law gives landlords the heavy lifting on termites/rodents but those can be controlled by keeping the property as dry as possible and keep foliage off the house.

Atir Levin · Answer

LEO Prime Properties treats for pests before tenants move in (or shortly after move-in, if tenants found pests issues). We like to make sure our tenants get a clean, pest-free house.Going fwd, regular pest control (ants, roaches, spiders) is the tenant's responsibility.Rodent issue will be addressed by us as well.

Tricia Laux · Answer

I actually do pay for pest control in the SFH for my tenants.  We are in a wooded planned community, and termites are always an issue.  By paying for termite and pest control, I can control the company who they are using, and since I now have multiple contracts, I do get a slight discount from the company.  For me, protecting the investment is worth the money at this point.  I do not, however, pay for yard treatment (tick/ mosquito treatments). It is in the lease that the tenant can obtain that from the contracted company, but on their dime.

Aaron Rowell · Answer

@Jonah Kolsrud Great advice. Thank you.

Jonah Kolsrud · Answer

@Aaron Rowell

Sounds like in your case it could be an opportunity to add to the lease and have the tenant pay as long as there is not an issue when they move in.

Agree with Kyle's comment above on it being highly dependent on property type as well. Additionally, certain niches for instance student rentals it is common practice to pay for all units to regularly be sprayed.

Aaron Rowell · Answer

@Kyle J.Thanks. Your input is very helpful. It’s a duplex (My first rental property). I’ve been paying for pest control so far. Just curious as to what other people were doing.

Pest Control. Should landlord pay for it?

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