Do you hire an exterminator?

Question

Hi good people. Our tenant is asking for a different exterminator because she is not happy with one we are using.  My question is,  if there are ants after the first treatment/first visit, can she legally ask for a new pest control? The pest control that we use said they will come back and treat the ants again. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. This is in Chicago.

Jonathan Klemm · Answer

@Divya Sharma - What does the tenant "not-like" about the exterminator?  haha

It's totally up to you the landlord on who you hire to fix or exterminate things.  Sometimes it takes several trips to fix the problem, that's not uncommon at all.

If you end up needing another exterminator, I've got a good guy.

John Warren · Answer

@Divya Sharma pest complaints can be frustrating, but these are ants... not bed bugs or roaches! I always set the expectation that we work to get rid of pests, but sometimes it will take multiple trips. This is especially true for roaches and bed bugs where it can take months or even years to truly root them all out (ask me how I know!).

Paul De Luca · Answer

I'm guessing your tenant wants you to use another exterminator since the first time they didn't remedy the problem? And is the same exterminator charging you for a second service call? Unless it's specifically outlined in the lease I don't think your tenant can demand the contractors you use or require you to use a different company. Just make sure the exterminator gets rid of the ants to the best of their ability so it doesn't happen again.

Scott M. · Answer

While I do not have any idea about the laws in Chicago I can tell you this is a great clause to add to your lease.  Doesn't help you today, but can down the road.

We have seen hundreds and hundreds of leases and everyone handles pests differently. Some say they will cover the cost, some say they never will, some say they will if owner caused but won't if tenant caused.  Take for example a tenant who lives in a home for 2 years and then says hey, there is a bad ant problem.  Doubtful the owner caused this.  Not proof the tenant did, but doubtful the owner did. Also pest control companies often have before/after treatment rules.  Our companies will report to us if the tenant is living up to their end of the bargain, if not, we stop treatment and it is on the tenant.  But our lease allows for this.  Also allows for if we are paying, we decide who.  You can decide who, but you pay.

The lease is the roadmap.  When you learn little lessons like this, always update your lease.

Patricia Steiner · Answer

Just to weigh in, my clients and I do not offer pest control services - that's on the tenant because a lot of what happens has to do with how they dispose of food, cleanliness, etc. Our lease is very clear on it; termites and rodents are something else and those the landlord/owner has to cure.  My recommendation is to never allow a tenant to select your trades; it's not their wallet, it's not their business decision.  If a change is because the problem remains, ask them for photos of where the pests are entering the unit.  It can be very telling.  You may need to do some caulking or point out that there is food on the counter next to the infestation.

Best...

Divya Sharma · Answer

Thanks all for the advice. I Will need to amend the lease when it expires. This was very helpful.

Do you hire an exterminator?

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