Listen up Landlords!

Pest control is often overlooked by landlords and agents because there isn't always an immediate problem. But proactive pest management is just as essential as keeping up with all other aspects of property maintenance.

Any reputable landlord will know they have to adhere to strict guidelines from the The Renters' Rights Act (England). This not only ensures they provide safe, habitable homes for people, but also acts to balance the responsibility the tenant has to keep your home clean and free from damage.

We at Veto Pest attended a job recently when we were called by a landlord to attend one of their rental properties. The landlord had been advised by one of their shared occupancy tenants that they had spotted a couple of bedbugs in their room. The tenant claimed they had only noticed them in the last two days.

Upon our speedy arrival, it became devastatingly clear that these bedbugs had moved in a long time ago, made themselves comfortable and invited the whole of Gloucestershire's bedbug population to move in with them! Due to such a large infestation, the whole house had to be treated over the course of several weeks, with the majority of the tenants personal belongings being destroyed. It is by far one of the worst cases we've seen - so much so that I can't even bring myself to look at the pictures we took.

Unfortunately, for the unwitting landlord, he ended up paying a lot more than he had initially anticipated, with significant damage to his property. Thankfully he did act quickly once he was made aware of the problem. Should he have passed the bill to the tenant? That wasn't for us to decide. But it is a good example of how instances like this could be avoided with regular property pest inspections and control.

We spoke to the tenant who had the highest level of activity to ask why he did not report the problem sooner. As is often the case, he stated that he was too embarrassed to admit he had bedbugs as he believed people would think him as unhygienic. I have written an article about this before because it is a very common misconception. But this is another reason you can't always rely on the tenant to address a problem immediately. Even if they should.

Rodents and birds can cause significant structural damage by chewing and pecking wires, walls and pipes. This can also pose a real fire hazard and risk of internal flooding. Ants, cockroaches and flies pose severe health and safety risks, contaminating food and spreading airborne allergens - failing to address them can result in serious consequences. Regular prevention is far cheaper than paying for unexpected structural repairs and heavy remediation.

But you don't have to wait until there's a big problem. Prevention is key. Most pest control companies offer varying contract terms from 1-12 visits per year, and cover a range of different pests. It's well worth it for your peace of mind, ensuring you have happy, healthy tenants which in turn provides your steady rental income.

Naomi & Jon - Veto Pest Ltd