How to Deal with Bed Bugs at Your Rental Property

Bed bugs are the worst nightmare for any homeowner.

Unlike roaches and fleas, bed bugs can survive without food for up to a year, which is why it’s extremely difficult to get rid of this nuisance. But, don’t worry! Professional exterminators can help you eliminate these nasty creatures in no time.

Did you know as a rental property owner, it’s your responsibility to pay for bed bugs control and extermination services?

If you’re wondering how to efficiently deal with these bugs at your rental property, here are a few practical and effective tips to help you out:

Prevent Bed Bugs Infestation

Although it’s not easy to get rid of bed bugs once and for all, what you can do is prevent the infestation in the first place. For this purpose, guide your tenants on how they can keep the problem at bay.

Your tenants may bring along bugs while returning from a tour. Shared laundry facilities also increase the problem. Furthermore, if your tenants intend to buy used furniture, ask them to make sure it’s free of bed bugs.

Hotel furniture is often infested with bed bugs. Share some useful information with your tenants to ensure they don’t bring along pests. Ask them to inspect the hotel room for the presence of bed bugs and carefully check the luggage before leaving the room to make sure no bed bugs are hiding in the suitcase.

Ask Your Tenants to Clean the Household

Bed bug infestation can become a huge problem if you don’t take immediate actions to control their growth. Ask your tenants to clean the entire household so as to get rid of these bugs. Ask them to get rid of clutter, since bed bugs can easily hide under it.

Ask your tenants to thoroughly wash all clothing items and beddings in hot water. Rugs and furniture should also be vacuumed twice and the vacuum bag should be disposed of in a safe manner. If there are any cracks in the structure of your rental property, examine them for the presence of bedbugs and then fix them.

Get in Touch with an Exterminator

If your property is infested with bed bugs, you need to resolve this problem at the earliest. You can call an exterminator to diagnose whether bed bugs have made a home in your rental property.

They will thoroughly check the furniture, beddings, closets, drawers, shelves, and couches. So, inform your tenants beforehand of the exterminator’s visit.

Professional exterminators have modern tools through which they can efficiently eradicate bed bugs. They’ll disassemble the furniture to diagnose and control the infestation. They’ll use chemical insecticides to kill off these bugs. Moreover, they’ll also seal the infested furniture in a container so that bed bugs die, making it easier to get rid of them.

When it comes to paying the fee, the property owner is obliged to clear the bills, unless they can prove that tenants brought along bed bugs in their furniture or suitcase. However, since it’s not easy to present such pieces of evidence, be ready to pay for the termination of bugs from your property.

Bed bug infestation has become a major problem in the US during the past 10 years. Dr. Ron Harrison, an Entomologist and Director of Technical Services at Orkin, stated in a press release:

“We have more people affected by bed bugs in the US now than ever before. They only need blood to survive.”

To be precise, bed bug infestation can decrease the value of your rental property. So, take effective measures to prevent its infestation and contact a professional exterminator if these creatures have already targeted your property.