No one likes to talk about them, but unfortunately bed bugs are a reality that a lot of people deal with, and at one time or another, you might find you have bed bugs in your rental property. Bed bugs can make themselves comfortable in your bed, your linens, the carpet and your furniture. Today we are going to tell you how we recommend handling a bed bug problem and what you can do to minimize the risks of attracting them.

Stay Calm

When you hear the words “bed bugs” the natural reaction is to get squirmy and terrified. Don’t panic. There is no reason to overact and throw away everything that’s in the house. It’s possible to treat a bed bug problem without completely renovating a property or burning the bedroom furniture. Approach the problem professionally and calmly.

Get an Exterminator

As soon as you become aware of bed bugs in your property, call an exterminator. If you don’t already have a reliable vendor who you work with on a regular basis, look for an exterminator who specializes in bed bugs and get him out to your property as soon as possible.

Preventative Measures

Landlords can work towards keeping bed bugs away from the property with routine pest control and inspection. Having your house inspected and treated on a regular basis will help you identify and fix problems quickly. Tenants need to pay attention to preventative measures as well. It’s important to keep all the areas in the property clean and wash sheets and linens regularly.

Good landlords will assist their tenants during the process of taking care of bed bugs. People who have to deal with them are likely going to be upset and anxious. Exterminating the bed bugs is ultimately the tenant’s responsibility in the state of Arizona, unless that tenant can prove the bugs were present in the property before move in. Always include something in your lease that addresses bed bugs and how the problem will be resolved, including who has the responsibility for paying to treat them. This will eliminate any confusion or debate when the problem comes up and neither you nor your tenants want to pay.

If you have any questions about bed bugs, or you’d like to discuss the topic further, please contact us at PRS Management, and we’d be happy to help.