Business, General

For landlords! 5 effective tips to keep a rental property pest-free

Keeping pests away from rentals is incredibly important and rather a responsibility, especially if you’re a landlord. It’s obvious no tenant would want living in a property that’s home to mice, cockroaches, bed bugs, pesky ants and many other pests.

You’ll eventually be dealing with frequent tenant complaints and turnover if there’s an infestation in your apartment rental. Here’s how to get the rental property bug-free and breathe a sigh of relief! But, let’s have a look at why pests can be such a concern!

  • Damaging to the rental property

Rodents and termites can chew through the infrastructure and even water supply lines thereby significantly damaging to any property. That being said, such infestation gives certain stench that doesn’t go away easily!

  • Complaining tenants

Apparently no one, especially tenants don’t want pests as their guests for a living so they’ll probably keep on complaining unless you do something to get rid of them.

  • Turnover tenants

Pests are a threat to healthy lifestyle and tenants are likely to move out if they’re unhappy with the present living conditions.

  • Health & safety issues

Even the tenant laws specify about rental properties to be clean and maintain a habitable environment which means any rodent, termite and insect infestation must be dealt with immediately and seriously.

Before going any further, let us confess that some tips have been taken from one apartment rental company in Dubai so a well-deserved word of appreciation for this wonderful gesture.

Keeping the pests out

  1. Regular extermination

Regular extermination must be scheduled especially after visible evidence of any rodent or insect. Remember that this is just a preventative measure as visible signs of critters probably mean infestation is already larger than you realise. Regular extermination helps in keeping the property clean and the problem from ‘expanding’.

  1. Seal the cracks & crevices

Shutting or sealing of the cracks and crevices definitely helps in keeping the creepy crawlies away. It must be done within and around the premises so as to be extra careful. The exterior includes foundation of the buildings, possible gaps around the pipes, windows, vents and doors. While sealing inside of the property, make sure checking the basements, attics, common areas and possible tiny openings where these insects can crawl and breed. Once again, analyse the perimeter carefully as well as all openings.

Indeed it’s time consuming but, a little effort today would save sufficient time and money later. For prevention against mice, work up a mixture of steel wool and caulk. Insert it carefully in the hole and don’t simply place the caulk else mice are likely to chew through it. That being said, caulking may be done to seal up other possible crevices and cracks.

  1. Keep the common areas clean

Unless the tenants are violating the safety standards or perhaps breaching the contract, you can’t control how they live inside the apartment rental! But, you surely can control common areas of the property by keeping everything clean and organised, free from debris and trash so on. Vacuum and deep clean the home at least once or twice per week which definitely helps in keeping things clean and free of pesky pests.

  1. Trash containers & recyclables

One way to ensure cleanliness is providing standard waste bins and recycle containers. These bins should be sturdy enough to hold the trash and have lids so as to close them up when filled to the top. It helps in preventing spill as well as keep the foul smell trapped inside! And if possible, keep the trash bins away from the habitable property just to make sure no smell or stray cat lurks within the premises.

  1. Wipe off standing water

Stagnant and stationary water within and around the property from leaky faucets or pipes must be removed. And while you fix the breaks and leaks, make sure the ground is dry as standing water becomes a breeding ground for insects and parasites.

Conclusion
The above tips would definitely help in keeping any property free of pests and contribute to a healthy lifestyle.