Pests are more than a nuisance; they can be deadly harbors of disease and infections, which can negatively harm your tenants and compromise their health. Thus, many HOAs have guidelines on pest control to help residents keep unwanted visitors at bay and promote the well-being of the entire community. As an investor, understanding these codes would be in your best interest so you can live harmoniously within your neighborhood.
This post outlines the most common HOA guidelines on pest control and approved pest control methods to keep your home pest-free. So stick around until the end as we dive in:
HOA Guidelines on Pest Control
Regular Inspections
Comply with your neighborhood’s guidelines on pest inspections. It’s pretty standard for HOAs to dictate when property owners should examine their houses for signs of unwanted critters. After all, left unchecked, an infestation in one house could spread to the next and affect the health and safety of the community.
To preserve your tenant and their neighbors’ safety, ensure you schedule regular inspections of your property, particularly in the spring and summer when pests tend to thrive. Also, remember to pay close attention to prime breeding areas such as behind heavy appliances, under bathroom and kitchen sinks, and in or around vents and ducts.
Notification Requirements
Alert your HOA promptly if you encounter any pests. Such sightings can be the first sign of an infestation, allowing other community members to act swiftly and address the situation. In other words, looking for solutions on your own is not enough. It would be in the best interest of everyone to engage your HOA if there’s a chance the problem could spread to other houses. However, if that’s already the case, then affected residents can pull resources together to hire an expert to resolve the collective problem safely.
Prevention Measures
Stick to the prevention measures your HOA outlines. Most communities have neighborhood rules that highlight the responsibilities of landlords and tenants to ensure cleanliness. These rules often include sealing cracks and crevices, cleaning food disposal areas, and landscaping.
In addition, you can keep pests out of your house by sealing off entry points. Sometimes tenant damage and wear and tear can cause cracks or holes to form in your doors, windows, and vents. These spaces allow rats, squirrels, and even ants to enter your property and cause a nuisance. However, closing up these crevices can block them out and prevent a pending infestation.
Approved Pest Control Methods
Hiring Professional Services
By hiring a professional service, save yourself the trouble of dealing with pesky pests. Coordinating a full-scale extermination project can be difficult, especially if many houses are infected. The last thing you want is an unchecked swarm of flies carrying diseases in your neighborhood. For the best results, it would help to work with a local HOA property manager in Philadelphia to help you set up a professional pest control service.
However, the cost of outsourcing pest control can dissuade some property owners from engaging in their services. However, in the end, it is often cheaper than DIY solutions that don’t consistently deliver the right results. After all, it’s hard to put a price tag on health, and most exterminators come with some form of guarantee, which should reassure you. We’d recommend this option if you have a consistent pest problem and want it gone for good.
Approved Chemicals
Explore your DIY options by buying approved products yourself. Chemical pesticides are a standard solution for property owners looking to eliminate rodents, cockroaches, and fleas. Many come in sprays or traps that target the nervous system, killing pests within hours of use. Still, it would be wise to check with your HOA before purchasing any commercial pesticide.
Some associations have strong policies on which reagents residents can use. While most are safe for humans, others can threaten animals and the environment if mismanaged. As a result, stick with your HOA’s list of approved chemicals.
Environmentally Friendly Options
Make PETA proud by opting for more environmentally friendly options. If you’re not a fan of permanently incapacitating rodents to get them out of your house, you should opt for less lethal options. There are more humane ways of controlling pests; best of all, they minimize harm to the ecosystem.
A few of these methods include using traps to capture rodents, trapping and freeing them outside the house, and sealing openings in your windows, doors, and roofs to act as barriers to entry. In addition you can also use natural repellents which deter insects with their smell. Eucalyptus, peppermint, and lemongrass are common examples for keeping creepy crawlers away from your house.
Integrated Pest Management
Introduce integrated pest management to rid your homes of vermin. This comprehensive solution combines different methods to keep your home pest-free and is one of the most effective approaches. You can prevent pests from entering your home by removing stagnant water, sealing garbage cans, and trimming trees on your property.
Integrated pest management also includes using biological control to identify and introduce natural predators that eat pests. For example, you can adopt human-friendly birds and beetles that prey on harmful flies.
Conclusion
In summary, many HOAs have guidelines on pest control that landlords and tenants must follow to contribute to the safety and well-being of the community. Some highlights include regular inspections and notification requirements to identify and alert other residents of a possible infestation. In addition, HOAs also outline preventive measures to discourage rodents and insects from trespassing.
However, if all else fails and you have a pest control issue, adhere to the HOA approved pest control methods. Most associations advise hiring a professional service to get the job done, but you can also keep critters away with approved chemicals and environmentally friendly options. For the most effective results, try incorporating integrated pest management methods to keep your home safe and free of vermin. In addition, if you don’t have the time to oversee inspections and exterminations in your rental, outsource the load to an expert property manager.
