Who Is Responsible for Pest Control , Landlords or Tenants. Who is responsible for the tenant? Can landlord evict tenant who caused pest problem?
What is the tenant responsibility for pest control? Landlords are responsible for pest control and keeping infestations away but there are situations where a tenant can have living behaviors that lead to an infestation and in those cases a tenant can be responsible for taking care of pest control. Mice, rats, bed bugs, and other pests, must be controlled by the landlord before the tenant moves in. The landlord must continue to control infestations except in single family dwellings, or when the infestation was caused by the tenant. The tenant is required to pay for the pest control if they were the cause of the infestation.
Most landlords have at some point or other faced the problem of mice, rats and other pests in their rental properties. So, regarding pest control responsibility: Landlords , as well as RSLs (Housing Associations and Registered social landlords ) are responsible for pest proofing. They are also obliged to sign a contract for regular pest treatments, if their property is located in an area with a high population of seasonal returning pests.
When unwanted pests are found on rental properties, conflicts can arise. Meanwhile, often a tenant will be required to undertake pest control at the end of their lease if they have pets at the property. In the interim, if a tenant has pets and flea become an issue during a tenancy, it’s also the tenant ’s responsibility to eradicate them.
Pest control falls under the general responsibility of both tenants and landlords to maintain the premises in a state of reasonable repair, safety and cleanliness. Many cases have gone before a tribunal where the interpretation of the tenancy legislation has led to judgement. At times in favour of the tenant but not always.
The one exception here is if the presence of the pest was caused by the tenant’s poor housekeeping or lack of cleanliness. Pests are never welcome in a home, but an infestation can be an especially sore point in a rental property. Determining who is responsible for pest control is a common conundrum for tenants and landlords , with no legislation unambiguously stating which party is obligated to fix the issue when an outbreak occurs. The housing charity, Shelter Englan says it is usually the landlord ’s responsibility to deal with pest infestation, if it is caused by conditions in the rented property that the landlord has responsibility for.
It also states that landlords are responsible for sorting out any pest control problems before a tenant moves in. The tenancy agreement between a landlord and tenant may have a clause that clearly states who is responsible for pest control. If this is the case, then both sides must comply with the document.
Usually, it will state the landlord’s duty to keep the property in a habitable state and the tenant’s duty to maintain sanitary conditions. Landlords aren’t always obligated to cover the cost of pest control. Is the Tenant Responsible for Pest Control ? There are times where negligence on the part of the tenant may lead to cases of pest infestation. These may arise due to garbage kept for too long in the house. This is a recipe for pest infestation.
With the legal responsible to keep the place fit for living in, landlords can soon become in breach of contract if there are critters roaming the place. Pests bring with them the potential to spread bacteria and diseases, to nibble at electrics, piping or even to nibble the tenants! As part of their responsibility for cleanliness and repairs (s.42), the owner of the rented property is responsible for pest control (including fumigation) when the pests are evident at the beginning of the tenancy. It’s important that you establish early on in your tenancy (if not beforehand) whether the responsibility for pest control falls to you or your landlord.
Usually, there will be certain situations in which your landlord is responsible for sourcing and paying for pest control, and some situations in which it is your duty. Both the summer heat and monsoon rains will drive a variety of insects into your home — scorpions, black widow and brown recluse spiders, a variety of ants, and cockroaches.
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