When it comes to pests like rats, mice, roaches, and bed bugs infiltrating your living space, immediate action is ideal. But effective removal treatments cost money, and when you live in a rental property, you may not necessarily be responsible for this expense. On the flip side, if you own a rental property, you’ll want to ensure you are taking the correct legal measures to prevent or exterminate pests for the wellbeing of your tenants. Either way, it’s important to know your rights and responsibilities to ensure a positive living arrangement.
Know Your Rights as a Tenant
As a tenant, you are certainly within your rights to request action when it comes to property infestations.
According to Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), landlords are responsible for making sure their property meets all applicable health and safety standards. As such, it is important to bring attention to a pest situation sooner rather than later with the manager of your property. A good practice would be to make your request in writing, keeping a copy for your own records. This way, you have proof of your communication should the issue progress further without action from property management.
Keep in mind, however, that the removal of these pests is a two-way street: While landlords must take action to rid your space of pests through hiring a professional extermination company, there will likely be work on your end as a tenant to prepare your space for the extermination treatment. This could mean packing up belongings and moving items to clear your space, depending on the type of treatment required. You should be given advance notice to prepare.
The arrangement to hire pest control services should be completed in a timely manner by the property manager or landlord. If you’re struggling to get a response or incite action, you should contact Public Health to inquire further.
Know Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Landlord
In order to operate within the regulations of the RTA, you, as a property manager, must ensure health and safety standards are met so that rental spaces are fit for habitation.
Removal of bed bugs and pests is not considered an emergency, but affects the quality of life and tenant health, and therefore should be dealt with as soon as possible. Not to mention, infestations spread quickly and should be terminated before spreading to additional areas of your property.
Tenants should be notified in writing a minimum of 24 hours before inspecting their space, and with adequate time to prepare for scheduled treatments. The cost of pest removal should also be covered by property management.
Whether you’re living in a space or renting it out, consult professionals when it comes to pest removal, especially when multiple parties are involved. Our team at Action Pest knows what’s required in all pest situations on topics from effective treatment to legal rights and responsibilities. Contact Action Pest today to get rid of your pests and your worries!
