As a tenant renting a property, you may be wondering who is really responsible for pest control in your home. The answer is: it depends. There are different rules for those who rent an apartment or duplex and those who rent a single-family home. It is always best to discuss these rules before moving in so everyone is aware of what happens when a pest breaks into your rental home. As a landlord, though, the situation is a little more complex.

In the state of Washington, landlords are ultimately responsible for all pest control efforts surrounding tenants. Before tenants move in, a landlord is the responsible of controlling all common pests, including mice, bed bugs, and cockroaches. And, even after the tenant moves in, the landlord maintains that responsibility, except in single-family dwellings or if the infestation is directly caused by the tenant. A landlord that owns a single-family home, then, is only partially responsible. Still, the landlords of either apartments or single-family homes should not waver from awareness of how dangerous pests can be to their property.

Although hiring a commercial exterminator in Henderson isn’t something that tenants remain responsible for, organizing routine pest control can be highly beneficial for those who own apartment buildings or single-family homes in the long-term. Just because a landlord can point at a tenant after they move in and say that they caused the issue doesn’t mean that, as a landlord, you shouldn’t work to avoid these problems. Regardless of who is responsible, your first action should be eradicating the pest. Always be prepared to front the bill for pest problems, so they are resolved quickly.

Create a good rental property expense budget is a part of owning, operating, and renting properties. Routine and preventative pest control services should be just as important as a budget for emergency repairs and the like. Landlord pest control may not be something that you legally have to think of, but you should want to take care of the tenants that are subsequently responsible for your property. If it is a matter of cost, you save time and money over time by scheduling routine visits and inspections to the property, pest control spraying services for common area pests, and offer pest control advice to tenants to prevent infestations.

As a landlord, you want to keep your tenants safe. If you are a tenant, you want to feel that your landlord is interested in maintaining a safe property. Landlords may be only partially responsible for pest control on their rental properties, but staying proactive with pest control will certainly help preserve the landlord-tenant relationship.