Rodents Take Up Residence
March 30, 2018
The tenant of a property we manage recently wanted to cancel their lease due to a rodent infestation. This wasn’t the first time Austin Fleck Property Management in Gilbert, AZ has had to handle pest control. In our business, we deal with all sorts of problems, so that the rental property owner can rest easy. In this particular situation, roof rats had set up home in the attic, and the tenants were claiming the house was uninhabitable. Although the situation was unfortunate, we were able to determine that the roof rats were confined to the attic and weren’t invading the tenants’ living space.
Satisfied Tenants
As professional property managers, we knew what to do in this situation so the tenant didn’t have to move and the owner didn’t have to lose income. We consulted with our Attorney, who confirmed that rats in the tenants’ attic were not grounds for tenant termination of the lease.
With a two-step solution, we were able to solve the problem for both the tenant and the rental property owner. First, on the day we were notified of the situation, we immediately contracted a pest control company. The pest control company sealed the house to prevent the rats from entering the home and placed traps in the attic, which they emptied and continued to reset until all the rats were gone. Then, to prevent another recurrence, we also contracted a landscaper to cut back the mature landscaping from around the house.
The rats were never seen again, and everyone lived happily ever after. Problem remediation was quick and painless for both the owner of the property and the tenant. The tenant’s confidence was restored, and the owner’s business, reputation, and peace of mind were secured. Time and time again, our experience at Austin Fleck Property Management has been proven beneficial to both the tenant and the rental property owner. Check out our website at: www.austinfleck.com, and contact us if you have questions. We’ll work for you, to make your real estate investment a win-win situation.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (3/22/2018)