Pest control responsibility

[Murali Ponnaluri]

Need your advice. This property I bought have current tenants, so we inherited them as tenants. So recently we received a maintenance request regarding the rats/mice. I reviewed the lease agreement, and it does not expressly say anything about whose responsibility it is. Plus this is a duplex so we might have to do pest control for both units. I appreciate your advice.  By the way it is located in New Hampshire. Thank you all!

Part of the lease says "The Tenant will, at its sole expense, keep and maintain the Property and appurtenances in good and
sanitary condition and repair during the term of this Lease and any renewal of this Lease."

[Frank Chin]

I owned duplexes and triplexes through the years, and tried what you are thinking, make the tenants responsible for everything, repairs, pest control etc. There are pluses and minuses, and often the minuses are greater.

If I rent to mama's boys, the risk is the greatest. I rented to two young professionals, software engineers, great income, great credit score. Got a call, the bedroom doorknobs are loose, can I come over to take care of it? I told them there's two screws he can tighten. The answer was "guess so, but I don't think I have the screwdrivers, can you bring  over the right one". On another occasion, same guy, the upstairs tenant had a leak under the toilet where it sits on the floor, had a plumber take a look, said to me "the guy downstairs must have water coming through the ceiling, did he say anything"? Went downstairs, ask if he had any water problems in his bathroom. The answer "nothing much, we only had water coming out of the medicine cabinet, we just didn't want to bother you since it's no big deal".

I had triplexes where I had pest problems. Usually, it's caused by one messy tenant, and the roaches would run all over the building. Problem is when it gets out of control, the city would be called, and I can be cited. If I depend on the tenants, all three would have to get on it, often each with their own DIY solution, ranging from doing nothing, to get their own sprays, traps, and often ineffective, resulting in more calls. 

What did I do? I got a professional exterminator, for the next year, come on a regular schedule. Turn out it's one messy tenant, two roommates, often get into fights over whose turn it is to clean up the kitchen. Exterminator told me when he lifted up a rubber mat on the kitchen counter, over a dozen roaches scattered. There were dirty dishes all over the dining room and kitchen counters. Thought about it, and it would be unfair for the other  tenants to take the time and expense of handling the roach problem if the cause is the upstairs neighbors and only regular visits from exterminators can review and properly mitigate the problems. The plus here is if I run into legal issues with tenants and authorities, I'm better off with a licensed and insured contractor.

I also rent out SFR's and you can lay the responsibility on one tenant. Lease says tenant handle all repairs over $100. so one tenant took care of a leak under the sink by keeping a pail there, and emptying it every night. For duplexes and up, not so simple.