Ants and bugs will happen, even when you’re renting out a beautiful and well-maintained home in Pleasanton or the surrounding cities. Occasionally, a rat or a squirrel will take up residence in some unreachable place, and your residents will ask for help.Who is responsible for keeping your rental property free from pests? When does it become a habitability issue? This can get complicated, and as with all property management issues, prevention is always a key step in avoiding pest problems.
Pest Prevention for Pleasanton Landlords
Cockroaches, ants, spiders, and other bugs coming into a property are a nuisance but not necessarily a health or safety issue. Rodents, however, present serious health problems to Residents and require more aggressive tactics from Landlords. As a Landlord, your responsibility is to hand over a property that’s pest-free to begin with. Hire an exterminator or work with a property management company before move-in to take care of any exclusion work that will eliminate pests to the best of your ability. Spiders will get inside. Silverfish will show up in tubs. These issues are often unavoidable, but make every effort to hand your Resident a rental home that’s free of any pests. When you rent out a single-family home, you can provide the property pest-free and then require your Resident to keep it pest-free. Rodent issues, however, will always be the Landlord’s responsibility. If a Resident has a rodent infestation, you should act quickly to solve the problem to avoid potential habitability claim. In a multifamily unit, it’s hard to know where the source of the pests originated. You’ll have to take responsibility for pest control. We strongly recommend engaging a professional pest control service provider to ensure you meet your obligations. Tips to preventing pests for Landlords might include:
- Keeping the areas around homes and buildings free of weeds and brush that might attract pests.
- Seal all cracks and holes on the exterior.
- Implement a good waste management to eliminate food and shelter for pests.
- Make pest control part of your regular property inspections, especially during turnovers.
Tip: For a low-cost, easy pest control solution, we recommend deploying over-the-counter pest bombs during every turnover. This can eliminate any lingering or unseen pest problems before your next Resident moves in.
Pest Prevention for Pleasanton Residents
Educate your Resident on what you expect in terms of cleanliness and pest control during the tenancy. You’re providing a pest-free home, but it won’t stay that way if your Resident moves in and leaves dog food out all day or waits to take out the trash until it’s overflowing. Encourage your Residents to:
- Reduce clutter, which is often a hiding spot for pests.
- Treat pets for ticks and fleas.
- Avoid bringing used furniture into the property.
- Inspect packages before bringing them into the home; bugs love to live in cardboard.
Your lease agreement should be clear on pest control responsibilities and requirements. If you’re downloading a lease from the internet, it may not include this critical information. When there’s nothing specific in the lease, you can expect all pest and rodent responsibilities to default to the landlord. Remember to be careful about the products you’re using or leaving behind for tenants. California law requires you to disclose any potentially harmful chemicals in the property to your tenants. If you have any questions about how to control and prevent pests, we’re here to offer you more advice that’s tailored to your specific property. Please contact us at Advantage Property Management Services.
