21 Feb Why Our Lease Doesn’t Cover Pest Control: An Insight into Our Approach

As a landlord, one of the most challenging issues to address is pest control. While many landlords offer pest control as part of their lease agreements, we have chosen not to. In this post, we aim to explain why our lease does not cover pest removal, and what our approach is to this issue.

At our multi-family properties, we do handle pest control if the pests have left the initial apartment, but in most cases, pests come from the tenants. The responsibility for pest control falls on the tenants, as it is their actions that usually cause pests. Our lease specifies that pest control is the tenant’s responsibility. We believe that tenants need to be aware of their responsibility to maintain a clean and hygienic living space.

There are cases where tenants may be trying to withhold rent because of pest issues, which is a violation of their lease. Our lease agreement specifies that the tenant is responsible for the pest control in their apartment. Therefore, we have a zero tolerance policy towards any tenant who tries to withhold rent against the terms of their lease. We believe that it is important for our tenants to understand their lease agreement to avoid any misunderstandings or violations.

We do recognize that pests can be a nuisance and can pose a health hazard. We understand that tenants expect their landlords to provide safe and habitable housing. However, we feel that it is not reasonable to include pest control as part of the lease agreement. By making pest control the tenant’s responsibility, they can have more control over their living environment.

It is important to note that landlords have certain legal obligations to provide a safe and habitable living space. The law requires landlords to address any pest infestation that existed before the tenant moved in. However, after the tenant moves in, it becomes the tenant’s responsibility to maintain a clean and hygienic living space, and to address any pest issues that may arise.

In some cases, we may pay for the pest control and add the cost to the tenant’s bill. However, this is a rare occurrence and is only done in cases where the pest infestation is not the tenant’s fault. Our lease agreement clearly outlines the tenant’s responsibility for pest control.

Before tenancy, we conduct an inspection to verify that the property was leased out without pests. This inspection is done to ensure that the tenant is not responsible for any pest issues that existed before they moved in.

In conclusion, our lease does not cover pest control as we believe that it is the tenant’s responsibility to maintain a clean and hygienic living space. We have a zero tolerance policy towards tenants who violate the terms of their lease by withholding rent. It is important for tenants to understand their lease agreement, including their responsibilities for pest control. By making pest control the tenant’s responsibility, they can have more control over their living environment, and ensure a safe and habitable space.