All Topics / Help Needed! / Pest control. Who pays. Landlord or tennant?

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  • Profile photo of PeteJackiePeteJackie
    Participant
    @petejackie
    Join Date: 2003
    Post Count: 121

    Hi all,

    We have a problem with small scorpions in the house we are renting. In the past few weeks we have found 3. All upstairs as well.

    My question is who is responsible for getting an exterminator/ pest controller in to deal with the problem, the tennant or the landlord?

    Regards,

    Pete

    Profile photo of WylieWylie
    Member
    @wylie
    Join Date: 2004
    Post Count: 346

    We get the outgoing tenants to have pest control done, and put that in the lease.

    So new tenants going in have a freshly “pest treated” house.

    Anything that crops up during their lease, we let them deal with. To be honest, we have not ever had a tenant request a pest treatment except recently, just after a tenant moving in we had a major black ant problem in the kitchen, which we paid to have dealt with as it was within a week of them moving in, so felt we should step up to the plate.

    Wylie

    Profile photo of woodinatorwoodinator
    Member
    @woodinator
    Join Date: 2007
    Post Count: 9

    Pete and Jackie

    This is my opinion, if the landlord has not had pest treatment done in last twelve months then they should pay but if they have then I think the tennant should pay as long as the landlord does it once a year.

    Cheers

    Profile photo of L.A AussieL.A Aussie
    Member
    @l.a-aussie
    Join Date: 2006
    Post Count: 1,488

    Landlords are responsible for the maintenance and repairs to the property. Termites will affect the property, so this is a repair and/or maintenance pest.

    All other Pests are not related to the above.

    I have heard of white cockatoos eating cedar windows, but this doesn’t affect the tenant’s lifstyle especially – just the ugliness of where they have been chewing.

    Tenants’ problem.

    Cheers,
    Marc.
    [email protected]

    “we get sent lemons; it’s up to us to make lemonade”

    Profile photo of kellylockkellylock
    Member
    @kellylock
    Join Date: 2007
    Post Count: 60

    Hi,

    In the last house I rented, we thought we had possum problems i the roof, so the landlord paid to get someone out to check and deal with it. It turned out it was mice/rats, and the possum guy just put out ratsack and the problem was fixed.

    With other pest issues, I have heard it can be put in to the contract that a landlord will do a pest inspection periodically (once a year say) but if the pests are related to the tenants pets, eg fleas, then the tenant pays.

    I don’t know what category scorpions fit into!!!! It does seem as though they would hamper the tenants lifestyle… If you don’t deal with it and some gets stung… are you liable? I guess if the tenants are good tenants, just deal with it.

    Kelly

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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