Rats infestation- Who pays for pest control ?

Hi members,

My tenant reported that there was rats infestation in the house, and requested for pest control service.
5 years ago, I had provided a clean, newly renovated house to this tenant.

Question is: Who should pay for the $500 pest control fee ?

 

Tenant generally, the way they are living is likely contributing to the mice/rats.

Example, Tenants have birds that make a huge mess with seeds and feathers, attracts vermin, tries to say vermin problem is Landlord problem, nope.

Another example, house next door is abandoned squalla, vermin from next door come onto this property, Tenants try to make it the Landlords problem, after failing with Council and Police and about state of next door property.

 

It depends on the legislation in your state. In WA it is generally the owner’s responsibility as they are required to provide a property that is free from pests and vermin. However, if the tenants are enabling the problem by leaving food or petfood out, or debris outside that provide an inviting habitat then it’s the tenants problem. In any case when the weather cools down and the rain starts at this time of the year, the rats and mice are going to be looking for a warm dry place to live. My advice rather than spending a lot of money on pest control is that you get some rat sac or similar and throw it into the ceiling via the manhole or under the tiles.

 

That seems a lot for some boxes of ratsak!

Its not uncommon for rats or mice to get into the subfloor - because it’s dry and sheltered.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the tenants have done anything wrong.

 

Along with ants, roaches and various other insects.

The landlord is to provide a vermin/bug free environment/house prior to occupancy (for a reasonable period/3 months), having bugs/rodents in a property isn't necessarily any one's fault, but spending $5 (the cost of a sippy cup of coffee) by the tenant on ratsak would be a good start. (next thing you know they will want the oven cleaning company to clean the oven because it's suddenly dirty)

Too often tenants just want to pass the buck so someone else has to fix the issue, instead they could be a little more "pro active", as so many issues raised are general life related things that everyone has (that doesn't make the issue the responsibility of the LL).

 

Given the amount of damage rodents can do to a house I'd probably get involved. Potentially cost-share if tenant is contributing to the problem.

 

Yeah don't forget rats and mice running rampant in a roof space can cause a lot of damage - chewing through wires mainly which can be expensive to repair and also a safety/ fire hazard. Whoever pays you want to get on top of it.

 

My PM quoted $500 for the rodent treatment. I rang up several pest control companies and was quoted $300-$330. Tenant said she is not able to afford splitting the cost, so I'd bear the $300 fee this time, and if the infestation were to happen again, I'd need to serve her a notice to vacate for not maintaining my property in hygienic condition.
Attached is the treatment service I had engaged.

 

Thank you members for your valuable feedback.

 

HOW MUCH!? My Pest Controller charges $90 for a Rodent treatment....

What state is the property in? I know in QLD pest control is actually a grey area as to who's responsible.

Send an APPROPRIATELY PRICED Pest Controller to treat the property and report back on their professional opinion on the cause of infestation. If they believe the tenants living conditions are attracting the Rodents (e.g. dirty, overcrowded) then charge the tenants back for the expense. If they state the tenants are clean and tidy, something else has caused the infestation, you probably pay.

 

That cost seems to be excessive. What have the condition reports said about how the property has been kept?

 

The IP is in Melbourne. Whenever I drove past [about 4 times a year to visit an old friend at the other side of town], the front yard of this IP always looked messy with several cars parked outside. I suspected the tenant had sublet my property to other people. However, in every 6-monthly routine report my PM had stated and provided photos that the property was kept in "good, clean, tidy condition".

 

Clearly NOT! I would have given direction to the PM for them to clean it up. If they didn't then a breach until I could get rid of them.

 

I was really hoping that no one would mention one of the biggest MYTHS in residential tenancy, but alas, it's reared its head above.

There is nowhere in the Residential Tenancies Act that says the owner is responsible for pest control in the first three months of a tenancy and then after three months it is the tenant's responsibility.

It is one giant bs myth.

A tenant can maintain premises in an immaculate condition, both inside and out, but if rats, cockroaches, spiders, ants etc want to set up camp on the premises then they will. I have seen countless instances of this.

 

No disagreeing, nor did I state from the act, but from memory it does say a reasonable period, which based on my knowledge of pests/fleas lifecycles I consider 3 months to be a more than reasonable period

 

Please tell us which section of the Act or Regulation states that there is a 'reasonable period' with respect to pests etc.