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Where Does Pest Control Spray in Apartments?

Where Does Pest Control Spray in Apartments?

If you live in an apartment, you may be wondering where pest control is sprayed. Most apartments are sprayed in one day, and you may not be home for it. The good news is that most apartments will be sprayed on the outside only. You can often request inside service with your apartment manager should you see bugs indoors.

Our pest control technicians that come to your apartment complex will always start outside the apartment. They will spray the foundation and also go around the doors. Most of the time, this is enough to discourage the bugs from coming back. They may also spray the outside porches or decks if your apartments have them.

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Your apartment manager may also ask to have the technicians spray inside the apartment. If so, you may be asked to keep your doors unlocked, or the apartment manager will use a master key to let in the pest control technician. It’s up to you whether you go or stay in the apartment while it’s being sprayed. If you’re more comfortable being home, you can stay. However, you don’t need to be there.

How to prepare your apartment to be sprayed

If you won’t be home while a pest control technician comes to spray, there are a few things you should do to prepare.

  •  If you have pets, make sure that they are secured in a kennel so that they won’t interfere with the technician.
  • You should also clean up your home so that it’s organized and tidy. Piles of laundry, clutter, or crowded areas will make it hard to effectively spray. Wherever you’re seeing bugs, make sure that the baseboards are cleared. They will need to be sprayed, and if there are items in the way, the pest control technician won’t be able to get behind it all.
  • Put away any items that you don’t want someone messing with. It’s important to get around the walls of the home, and in some cases, a pest control technician may need to move a few items. If there is anything fragile, put it away so it doesn’t have to be moved.

What to expect

Most often, the process is very quick. You can expect the technician to be in your apartment for about 10 minutes. They’ll go around the apartment to spray and then they’ll hit any hot spots that you may have noticed. If you have a bug infestation, like with cockroaches or ants, they may set bait and traps in addition to spraying.

Depending on how many bugs they find, they may need to come back in a few weeks to retreat. However, if you’re not dealing with any infestations, you can expect to be treated either monthly or quarterly.

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If you’re looking for pest control in an apartment or for an apartment complex in Dallas, TX, Sulphur Springs, TX, Charleston, or Greenville, SC, Vinx Pest Control is ready to help. In the Dallas area, we do commercial and residential buildings everywhere from Southlake to Forney.

Are Landlords Responsible For Pest Control?

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Are Landlords Responsible for Pest Control?

January 30, 2020 Vinx Pest Control Pest control
Are Landlords Responsible for Pest Control?

We often get asked, are landlords responsible for pest control, and the answer is, it depends. In some states, including Texas, the landlord is responsible for creating a good living environment, and that means he or she must provide pest control. 

However, it turns out that it’s a lot more gray than that. Some pests are brought in by tenants, and therefore, if you’re a landlord, you should question whether or not you should pay for it. So…who’s right? Who should really be paying for pest control? Keep reading to find out.

Apartment Pest Control

When it comes to an apartment complex, is your landlord responsible for pest control? In most cases, yes. Whenever a new tenant moves in, the landlord should show a written contract that explains which pests are covered and which pests are not covered in the lease. For most apartments, landlords are treating the outside of the apartment building every quarter. Then, they treat the inside of the apartment during that quarter when needed.

So, not every apartment will have indoor apartment pest control. If you’re a tenant and seeing ants, roaches, or something else, chances are, the pest control company will come out and spray the inside of that unit. However, if another tenant wants the inside of their unit sprayed, they will need to alert the property manager so that it can be done at the same time.

Apartment pest control is usually done on a quarterly basis, or whenever there is a bad infestation of a certain pest. Especially in apartments, whether or not the landlord is responsible gets a little gray. For the most part, your landlord will pay for the pest control. Usually though, if the same unit needs to be sprayed multiple times for recurring pests, the tenant will have to pay extra.

Is the tenant responsible for pest control?

One of the most common pests in apartments is cockroaches. Usually, cockroaches happen when a unit is left dirty. However, cockroaches are also a natural pest problem—especially in Texas. So, if a unit has cockroaches only once or twice while renting, it’s the landlord’s responsibility.

But, say you as the tenant have cockroaches constantly because you’re not keeping your unit clean. In that case, it’s you, then tenant that is responsible. They’ll often have a pest control fee they’ll need to pay for further treatment. However, the landlord must have this written up in their lease contract.

Who is Responsible for Pest Control in a Rental Property?

If you have a home or townhome that you are renting out, the landlord is often responsible for pest control. This is because landlords need to provide a habitable home for tenants to live in. Anything that will cause structural damage or damage to the tenants will need to be treated for.

However, the law says that this is for ordinary tenants. If you have a tenant that is ill or has a lower immune system, you do not need to provide additional pest control for them. You are simply treating for what an ordinary tenant would need treatment from. This includes:

Are Tenants or Landlords Responsible for Bed Bugs?

The big debate in the rental space is whether tenants or landlords are responsible for bed bugs. The answer is pretty in line with what it is for cockroaches. A lot of the time, bed bugs and cockroaches are caused by the tenant. But at the same time, bed bugs and cockroaches are also becoming natural bugs that are occurring more often. So, who’s responsible? Both the tenant and landlord are responsible for bed bugs.

If you’re in an apartment and have bed bugs, you probably won’t have a very hard time with a landlord paying. But if a tenant is in a home with bed bugs, the answer is a lot harder. Bed bugs could spread between apartments, so it is usually a landlord problem. In a home, that doesn’t happen as often.

When you’re the landlord of a home, you don’t have to provide pest control for the bed bugs if the infestation was created because of the tenant. However, proving that can be difficult. That’s why you must always have clear lease pest control responsibilities laid out so that you don’t have any issues.

Creating an Error-Free Pest Control Lease Section

When you’re a landlord, you must create a section of the lease that talks about pest control. In this lease, you’ll need to write down the pests that you will take care of and the pests that the tenant are responsible for. You must comply with the laws of your state to create a habitable environment for the tenant to live in. This means you’ll need to take care of common pest problems in your area. 

Then, you need to have pests that the tenant is responsible for. Most of the time, this means that pests like fleas, ticks, bed bugs, and recurrent cockroaches are the tenant’s responsibility. Make sure you have each item clearly labeled, and go over it with them while signing the lease so that there are no questions.

Landlord Pest Control Responsibility in Texas

Texas is a haven for bugs, and because of this, pest control in rental properties is a big deal. Under the Texas Property Code 92, it states that landlords are responsible for providing a habitable home. But, what does this truly mean? Well, anything that is a health or safety concern to the tenant is required to be handled.

When it comes to pests, this is a little more difficult. Many landlords say that the tenants are responsible if the pests enter the home 30 days after a tenant has moved in. However, termites are excluded. Anytime termites are found, it is the responsibility of the landlord. Other than that, the answers get a little gray. For example:

  • If there is a rat infestation in the home, it may be the tenant’s responsibility. However, if the infestation is caused because of holes in the home that the landlord didn’t fix, that’s the landlord’s responsibility.
  • If cockroaches are found, it is often the landlord’s responsibility. If cockroaches are found multiple times due to how the tenant is living, it is the tenant’s responsibility.
  • If bees are found around the home, it is the tenant’s responsibility. Even if the tenants are deathly allergic to bees, it is still the tenant’s responsibility.

Landlord Pest Control Responsibility in South Carolina

When it comes to bugs, South Carolina is no stranger to them. If you’re a landlord in South Carolina, you may be wondering about your responsibility when it comes to pest control. Currently, there aren’t any laws stating that you must provide pest control. However, you are required to provide a livable rental property, so it must be infestation-free when the renter moves in. That means the property needs to be free from:

  • Rats, mice, and other rodents
  • Cockroaches
  • Termites

Who is responsible for future pest control will depend on the lease that you have drawn up. Many landlords in South Carolina choose to provide pest control as an advantage to the property, and a quarterly treatment can keep damage from pests happening. It’s important to protect your investment! However, this is ultimately up to the landlord and renter.

Who should purchase pest control for rental properties?

As a landlord, you should provide preventive pest control for rodents and termites. If you want to keep your rental property in the best condition possible, it’s smart to have year-round preventive pest control that will keep your home free from damaging pests and your tenants happy.

As a tenant, if your landlord will not provide pest control, you should purchase preventive pest control to keep your family safe. Always be sure to check over your lease and read it before signing so you know what you’re responsible for.

Conclusion: Are landlords responsible for pest control?

Depending on the pest and how bad the infestation is, a landlord may be responsible. If you’re in the Dallas, Texas area and have a rental property, providing pest control is a smart idea. It will keep your home and tenants protected. For just a small extra cost each year, you can have happy tenants that enjoy their stay. 

If you’re a landlord in the Dallas – Fort Worth area, from Denton to McKinney to Mesquite and need one-time or regular pest control for your tenants, we can provide that for you. If you’re a tenant at a rental property and need pest control, we can help. From infestations to pest control preventions, we can handle it all. No pest problem is too big for us! Call us today for a free quote or fill out the form below. Contact us if you need pest control at your apartment in Dallas, Charleston, or Greenville

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