How To Handle Tenants Pest Complaints

No one would want to have pests and rodents living in their property and you’re going to have to take matters serious when your tenants present such complaints. These problems can lead to high tenant turnover or the violation of health regulations. It’s the duty of a landlord to maintain a pest-free property. Here’s how to respond to such when faced with such a situation:

#1. Keep the tenant happy:

If the tenant sees unwanted pests or creatures in the property, they expect the problem to be addressed with immediate effect. It’s not at all acceptable to tell a tenant who has a newborn baby that you’ll get to the problem in a weeks time. Keeping your tenants happy will also help put you at ease.

#2 Shield the property:

If rodents and pest have been spotted, chances are, there might be a few hanging around the property. They tend to spread very quickly, so a small problem could easily turn out to be worse than you thought all of a sudden. Getting rid of a small issue is much easier than fighting with an entire infestation. It is also much cheaper.

#3. Contact your tenants

If you have more than one tenant on your property, you’ll want to get in touch with the other tenants to determine if they also have the same problem. The intention is not just to notify them of the problem, but also to help determine just how vast the problem is.

You don’t have to ask them directly if they have seen or noticed any pests; rather, you could call to tell them you are checking that everything is going on smoothly and then ask if they have any concerns or repairs that need to be solved. If they have noticed any bugs or rodents, they will probably let you know immediately.

#4. Be sure what you’re dealing with

Before you tackle the problem, first of all be sure you know the type of pest involved. A tenant might tell you he or she saw a rat, when in reality it was another renter’s hamster that had escaped.

#5. Know where they are coming from

Once you’ve known the type of pest you’re dealing with, you need to be sure where they actually came from and how they got into your property, and then of course take measures to ensure this doesn’t occur again.

#6. Exterminate

There are several of ways to exterminate rodents and insects, such as glue traps and bug bombing which will require the tenant to leave the vicinity for a certain period of time. You can do it yourself or better still, hire an exterminator.