Who Will Get Those Unwanted Guests Out in A Hurry?
Creepy crawlers, slithering sneakers, and annoying animals are all a huge problem when they get into your home. When critters, bugs, and other wildlife make their way into rental residential or commercial properties, it can cause conflict between tenants and property managers regarding who is accountable for insect control.
Bravo Property Management and Realty wants to solve this problem here and now. Keep reading to learn who is accountable and how to handle the situation best.
Does the Property Manager Pay for Wildlife Removal?
Critters, vermin, and all sorts of other unwelcome home guests are unsafe for the health of your family and home. But exactly who will take the creature out if it gets in. After all, that is the primary concern here.
No matter who is ultimately going to pay for the removal, the problem requires immediate action. If you’re dealing with a rodent problem, call in a professional wildlife removal service. If bugs are your issue, call in a pest control service.
The first and crucial action is to remove the animal and, after that, worry about who is financially responsible. Removing the disease-carrying rodents, pests, and bugs is priority #1. Having a record of the pest removal will also prove in any litigation that actions were taken promptly.
Where the Lease Agreement Comes Into Play
From the get-go, the lease agreement should state that the landlord is providing the home in excellent condition and is responsible for pest control or wildlife removal if necessary. Any invasion due to the renter’s actions will generally mean the tenant will be responsible for the costs of cleaning up the problem. Here are two examples.
- If there is a problem with the home’s exterior and rodents get in, that is on the property manager.
- However, if you just love leaving the back door open all day, you may get fresh air and an unwanted visitor or two. In that case, the tenant should get someone out to remove the pest.
It is necessary the property manager documents the history of any known pest problems. If the tenant is developing pest problems due to trash and unhealthy living conditions, the property manager can document it and hold the tenant accountable.
If the pesky problem is something familiar to the area or that building, it will typically be the landlord’s responsibility. For instance, rodents in an area known for farming is a real problem. The property manager will know that and take precautions to keep the vermin out.
A good property management company has a wildlife removal company on “speed dial” for these wildlife invaders.
When is the Tenant Liable for Wildlife Removal?
As state earlier, the negligent behavior of the tenant will not be the property manager’s issue. When a tenant has a few pets and gets a flea infestation in the home, that would definitely be on the pet owner’s shoulders.
Poor house cleaning, moisture, or problems due to family pets that are documented can mean that the responsibility of pest control can be the renters. Rats, mice, raccoons, and other animals are attracted to the smell of trash cans and food left out in the open. These pests could be avoided with proper cleaning. That is where the renter should clean up first and then call a wildlife removal company.
The majority of wildlife breaches are due to an entry point in the building unknown to the renter and the property management company. That is an easy fix a wildlife removal company can remedy. The manager will call someone out and pay for the repair, but the tenant will need to make the home available. So both parties should work together to fix the critter invasion.
So, Who Is Responsible for Wildlife Removal, Landlords or Tenants?
As you can probably tell by now, responsibility all depends on the circumstances and the contract’s language.
If the tenant has offered notice to the property owner of the infestation, the property manager has to take care of it. The truth is that most property managers will want the critters out to control the amount of damage possible.
It’s typically the obligation of the property owner or management company to contract with a pest control service regularly, whether they are managing a multi-unit building or single-family home. Pest control and Wildlife duties should always be in the lease agreement, and so should wildlife removal.
At the end of the day, the renters’ health and safety is the top priority of the Property Management Company. At Bravo, we aim to please our tenants with excellent living conditions and fast response times. Contact us with any questions you may still have on this issue and any other tenant/manager questions.
