Comments on: Pest Control Rental Property | End of Lease Flea Spray

By: Roger

Roger — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:29:25 +0000

With the fleas, whether you have pets or not, pet fleas are different to grass fleas.. contrary to what most landlords will try and tell you, grass fleas are not brought in by pets..

By: Kristie

Kristie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:38:54 +0000

My landlord sprayed for pests today. I am worried because I keep pet scorpions. How long until it will be safe for me to bring my pets back? Will they be safe in their tanks or do I need to wash the treatment off the walls? Please help

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:57:26 +0000

just got off the phone with the real estate, i rent our house through them and told them of a severe spider problem and asked if the land lord was responcible they said no because sprider are a general pest and it was my responsiblity to look after them (any help would be nice)

By: Sonia

Sonia — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 03:29:06 +0000

I was told (by the property manager) that the new tenants had no pets, but when I called around to the house yesterday, there was a dog there. They appear to be still moving in, but I don’t know when they complained about the fleas. I have notified the property manager of my disinclination to be further involved and am waiting to hear back. I don’t doubt they will try to make me pay, as they are the cheapest and least honest company I’ve ever had the displeasure of doing business with.

By: 1300PestControl

1300PestControl — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:42:36 +0000

I wonder if the new tenants have dogs and also when the fleas emerged? Sorry I couldn’t help out further but I would be happy to know how you go and who ends up paying for pest control or if it goes to Small Claims what the verdict is. It would be great if you could keep me informed so I can let others in your situation know. Good luck.

By: 1300PestControl

1300PestControl — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:42:03 +0000

By: Sonia

Sonia — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:16:34 +0000

Thanks for the answer. I have spoken to the TUQ and the RTA and had the same advice. There are new tenants in the house now. They’re the ones who complained about the fleas.

By: 1300PestControl

1300PestControl — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:05:53 +0000

Hi Samantha. Getting your house sprayed for general pests is really up to you. Some people only get it done if they are experiencing an infestation they haven’t been able to control, be that silverfish nesting in the roof void, cockroaches accumulating in the kitchen or spiders becoming too unbearable. Some people prefer to get a pest spray done annually and usually at this time of year when the conditions are favorable for pests to breed. As most general pest treatments come with some sort of warranty period they then have the peace of mind that if they have any returning they can look to get a re-treatment.

For Rental Properties in particular, there is no actual set time frame required as per the Tenancy ACT and it is something that is at the discretion of the lessor and the tenant. As a general rule, a Lessor is required to maintain structural defects to a property. In my opinion this would include sealing entry points in roof voids to avoid rodents and possums taking up residence as well as getting Termite Inspections carried out on a regular basis and paying for termite treatments & damage if required. Usually it is up to the tenant to arrange and pay for any General Pest Treatments as technically it is the tenants responsibility to keep the premises free from pests and vermin if the premises was free from pests prior to the tenant moving in.

By: 1300PestControl

1300PestControl — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:40:28 +0000

The RTA tenancy ACT specifically states;
Do premises need to be pest controlled at the end of a tenancy?
The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 does not make a specific reference to pest control.
Tenancy agreements prepared by industry organisations may include a statement in the special terms of the tenancy agreement similar to the following: “The tenant must keep the premises free from pests and vermin.”
Before an agreement with this type of clause is signed, all parties should be aware of what it means and how it applies to the tenancy. Consideration should also be given to the standard of the premises at the beginning of the tenancy and any actions by the tenant, which may have contributed to a pest problem.
If the premises were pest free at the start of tenancy and the tenant has kept pets on the premises, they may be responsible for pest controlling the premises at the end of the tenancy.
Although pest control may be included as a special term in the tenancy agreement, the lessor/agent may not specify that the tenant use a particular company or product to pest control the premises as this may be considered to be an offence under the Act. A lessor/agent cannot require a tenant to pay a set fee for pest control.
Last Updated: 16 December 2009

By: 1300PestControl

1300PestControl — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:36:00 +0000

It is a difficult one. On one hand you have carried out the required End of Lease Pest Control that was noted on your Tenancy Agreement but the Pest Operator could also void the Warranty due to having the cleaning carried out the next day, especially so close to the Pest Control being done as this would have resulted in the chemicals being washed away. You have however fulfilled your obligation as a tenant and produced the necessary paperwork that your Agent/ Landlord has stipulated which most likely had no mention to a Warranty being required.

I have spoken to the RTA on this one and I was told that Pest Control is not specifically addressed in the ACT so it the agreement is only between you and the Agent as to who is responsible. The ACT only states “If the premises were pest free at the start of tenancy and the tenant has kept pets on the premises, they may be responsible for pest controlling the premises at the end of the tenancy.” This is something that you have done which shows that you have met your obligations. I was told that if the matter can’t be settled then the next step would probably be the Small Claims Tribunal. The Tenants Union of QLD may be able to assist with this further. http://tuq.org.au/wp/ or phone (07) 3257 1411. RTA also have a Dispute Resolution Service who may offer additional support. http://www.rta.qld.gov.au/the_dispute_resolution_service.cfm or 1300 366 311.

Another question – has there been another tenant since your vacancy or is the premise still vacant?