Snake in my rental townhouse

[Janice R.]

Hi all,

My tenant just texted me that our plumber found a copperhead (maybe) in the finished basement and killed it.  She is very afraid and wants me to deal with it.  Of course, I will find someone to deal with this but I believe she will have to pay for it.  

I'm rebuilding part of the basement right now because of a mold problem which was mostly the tenant's negligence.  But I'm paying for it - $6k.  So many other things that I have paid for her - window glass replaced, cleaned out of the backyard which are not my responsibility.  Removing pests is the tenant's responsibility.  

What do you think?

[Jim Shepard]

I have had problems in the past where a tenant gets bugs in  a house and wants me to pay for it.  The first time I called out my exterminator and took care of the problem at a cost of $175!  I drove past the house a week later and the garage door is wide open.  I called the tenant and told them that was why they had bugs.  More importantly I told her I wasn't going to be responsible for bugs in the future. 

I bet in your case a door was left open and the snake slithered into the house.  Might have happened during your construction?  They make a glue trap for snakes.  I'd get a few to make the tenant feel better that you are doing something about the problem.