Tenant Fleas (Pest) Complaint

[Jorge Liang]

Recently, my tenant has complained about fleas on his dogs from stray cats out in the front yard. The tenant has requested a pest control company to spray the front yard. I am sympathetic and plan on covering the cost of the spray. 

Here are some additional facts: 

1. Tenant refuses my recommendation to have his dogs wear flea & tick collar. "Not natural" he says.

2. Tenant also does a good job keeping the place inside clean.

3. I have never had a flea or tick problem reported from previous tenants.

Questions for you all:

1. Am I, as the owner, responsible for pests that may or may not exist outside of the house and are brought into the house by the Tenant's dogs?

2. If the answer to 1 is yes, then am I just stuck footing the bill if a flea problem were to reoccur?

Thanks in advance.

[Nathan Gesner]

Wait...it's not natural for an animal to wear a collar, but it's natural to spray the yard with a pesticide? LOL!

My policy is that we provide a pest-free home, then the tenant is expected to maintain it that way. If something pops up in the first two weeks, then I will cover it just in case we made a mistake and as an offer of good will.

The stray cats are not your fault or responsibility. If your tenant owned the home, he would have to deal with it. I would do it one time as a good-will gesture, but I would make it clear that he has to handle it from that point forward.