As temperatures drop, many of us look forward to enjoying a “cozy” fall season, keeping ourselves warm at home. Unfortunately, pests think the same: Rodents, insects, and other pesky critters start seeking shelter indoors, and your rental property can be a target, especially if it’s vacant. In this blog, we’re going to share some preventative measures landlords can take to get ahead of pest problems before they become an expensive and disruptive infestation. Spoiler: These maintenance items will also help you prepare your property for the colder months.
Our Recommendations to Keep Pests Away From Your Rental During the Fall
1 – Seal All Entry Points
Pesky animals have an incredible capacity to slip through the smallest gaps and cracks, so you have to make sure all the unit’s entry points are completely sealed. Walk around the property and inspect windows, doors, pipes, vents, and the foundation, and seal the openings using materials like caulk, weather stripping seals or strips, and mesh screens to seal any cracks or openings where pests might sneak in.
2 – Keep the Gutters and the Yard Clean
Fallen leaves, overgrown shrubs, and clogged gutters create the damp, dark environment where pests thrive. Clearing these areas not only prevents infestations but also prevents property damage caused by moisture buildup.
3 – Store Trash Properly
Nothing attracts pests faster than misplaced trash they see as an easy meal. Encourage your tenants to follow best practices for waste disposal, such as making sure outdoor trash bins’ lids are properly sealed, stored away from entry points, and emptied regularly.
4 – Monitor Common Problem Areas
We recommend you schedule a day with your tenants to make an inspection focused on looking at the main places where pests tend to congregate: The basement, attic, garage, and utility rooms are the prime spots for pests to hide in a home. Paying attention to these areas regularly is essential to catching an infestation early.
5 – Schedule Professional Pest Control
While DIY prevention goes a long way, nothing beats the expertise of the professionals. If it fits your budget, hiring a pest control visit at the start of the fall season is a smart investment. A trained technician’s eye can catch warning signs that landlords or tenants might miss, like smaller droppings, gnaw marks, or small nests well-hidden in basements and attics.
Beyond detection, professionals use preventative treatments like traps, baits and systemic pesticides that create a protective barrier around the property, stopping rodents, ants, roaches, and other insects and pesky animals before they enter the property or prevent nesting. This proactive step not only will keep infestations at bay but also signals tenants that you take their comfort and safety as a top priority.
From a financial perspective, prevention is worth it. A routine pest control visit can cost around $40 to $100 on average if you subscribe to a maintenance plan, and some providers offer discounts if you manage several properties. In contrast, the costs of dealing with an infestation vary greatly depending on the pest type and the severity of the situation, but you can expect the price to climb close to thousands of dollars if the treatment requires multiple follow-up visits.
6 – Encourage Tenants on Prevention
Even your best efforts won’t keep pests out if your tenants aren’t also on board. Many infestations start with small habits that attract pesky animals and insects, like misplaced or uncovered food, not disposing of the garbage regularly, or not reporting an issue until it’s too hard to ignore. That’s why educating your tenants is essential to make your preventative measures truly effective. Giving your tenants a checklist highlighting the habits that will keep pests at bay and the signs of pesky critters’ presence they need to keep an eye on to report them to you is a simple but effective way to ensure the property is pest-free.
A Pest-Free Rental Starts With Proactivity
Fall is the season when pests are most eager to move indoors, which makes prevention especially important for landlords. Preventing pests now not only protects your property’s value and saves you time and money, but also keeps tenants comfortable and satisfied throughout the colder months. Investing in pest infestation prevention means fewer headaches for you and a healthier, pest-free rental environment for your tenants.
