When you rent out your home, the last thing you want to have happen is to have your tenants call you with a pest control issue. There are several reasons why pests — from termites to house sparrows — would want to invade your property, and when you have a home that you rent out, you have periods of time in which the home is vacant. This makes your rental home susceptible to unwelcome guests.

When should you call pest control services for your rental property? To best protect your property and keep pesky critters at bay, use this guide to help you keep your rental property as pest-free as possible. 

Between each renter

After every renter moves out, hire a pest control service company to visit the property and inspect the rental home for all kinds of pests, from bed bugs to rodents. Even if you have no reason to suspect a pest invasion from the previous renter, showing new tenants the home has recently been treated for both indoor and outdoor pests is a benefit and shows you are a responsible and thorough landlord.

The cost for pest control companies to come to your home vary, but an average thorough one-time visit is around $177 nationally. Costs will be higher or lower than this depending on a few factors, including on if there are any pests to eradicate or not.

You can recoup much of the costs of your pest control services by dividing out the costs among your monthly rent for renters or including the cost of a pest control service in the home's deposit. You can also write the service off on your taxes as a business expense.

During home repairs and maintenance

Your rental property will need periodic repairs as renters come and go or as appliances need work. When you have other repairs done, let your renters know you will be doing a pest control inspection as well. In general, the best pest prevention is done every other month or so or as recommended by your pest control services company.

Whether you choose to have your rental home serviced every few months for pests or you wish to wait until you see active signs of a pest problem before treating the issues, your tenants will appreciate your thorough approach to keeping their rental home free of unwanted insects, rodents, birds, and even spiders. Speak to your local pest control companies to see what services they provide.

Find someone who provides pest control services in your area to learn more.