Living in the rental property comes with many challenges. Where some things are evident in a rental agreement, some things are not much clear, and often people are confused about it. A similar question that confuses new tenants is who will be financially responsible for pest infestation. Does the landlord have to pay to pest control surrey experts or the tenant?
Who Is Financially Responsible?
The answer to this particular question is not that simple. It depends on various factors, but most of the time, landlords pay for such services. When we talk about pest infestation primarily, the property manager is responsible for controlling infestation problems. However, it does not mean the tenants of the residence are entirely off the hook. Therefore, for your understanding, we have gathered information about rental properties. After reading this article, you would be able to determine who is responsible for what and what one should do in such a situation.
Read the Lease Agreement:
Generally, everything a tenant is responsible for is written in the lease agreement. Sometimes the agreement contains a clause related to pest control. If that is listed on the agreement, then you have to follow what is written on it legally.
There is a possibility that there is no such clause written on your rental agreement. In this scenario, you have to follow your country laws to decide who is financially responsible. Therefore, it is always recommended to add such clauses in the agreement to avoid any confusion. Being a tenant, it might even save you a lot of money.
When Is the Landlord Responsible?
In Canada, landlords are responsible for providing a safe, livable residence to its tenants. Therefore, they have to take specific proactive measures to solve any issues related to the house. Some of the preventions a landlord has to consider include:
Monitoring:
- Being a landlord, it is their responsibility to keep tabs on the rodent population level. They have to look at such things as infestation might even cause damage to building infrastructure.
- Building maintenance technicians, electricians, and plumbers help a lot in monitoring such infestation problems.
Reducing Pest Access to The Building:
- Fixing up broken windows and filling up every hole in the doors so that the pest has limited access to the insides of the building.
- Blocking all the entry points to the building electrical and plumbing system.
- Placing screens on the air vents to further reduce the possibility of infestation.
Pest Source of Water:
- Repair any water leakage in the building to prevent water damage and clear clogged up drains.
- Use insulation for pipes that are susceptible to condensation.
Managing Garbage Bins:
- Providing covered garbage cans that are washed on a weekly basis.
- Making sure that the garbage is collected daily from the building premises.
Generally, it is the responsibility of the landlords to take seasonal measures for pest control. If they fail to do so, they have to hire pest control services. Moreover, if the tenant was given an already infested place, it could lead to legal actions. Reporting the problem before severe infestation proves that the tenant did not cause it.
When Is A Tenant Responsible?
Every tenant is responsible for taking pest control measures and if the infestation is caused due to tenants’ activities such as:
- Fleas and tick’s infestation due to pets
- Rodent and cockroach’s problem due to uncleanliness
- Not reporting any water damage and leakage
- Bed bugs problem due to tenant’s old furniture
Under these circumstances, the tenants are held responsible for infestation issues. Landlords, who proves infestation is caused due to tenants, can launch a formal complaint against them. Therefore, to avoid any responsibility, a tenant should always inform landlords about such issues.
Final thoughts:
Pest control is mostly the landlord’s responsibility, and sometimes if the tenants have a medical condition, they are bound to provide a more sterile atmosphere. However, there are a few exceptions where the tenants are held responsible. More importantly, being a tenant, you are bound to tell your landlord about such pest problems. Otherwise, the medical expense and the financial burden of pest infestation is on the shoulder of the tenants.
Being an official resident, the tenants have to take responsibility for the structural damage and try their best to report problems to the property manager on time. However, if the landlord shows negligence in this matter, then the tenant must pursue other means. Such as an official complaint to the local law enforcement authorities. Similarly, if the landlords do not get any timely reports must take necessary actions and refrain from assigning any blame.
