I'm renting a town home and I recently found rats in the garage, who's responsibility is it?

Question

I've been renting this place since March of 2008 and about 2 weeks ago i found rat poo. I have few personal items stored in boxes in the garage and i found holes all over most of the boxes. I noticed a hole next to the door that leads into the garage from the outside, which i never noticed before, I really think they came through that hole. So my question is when I get the courage to open the boxes and check out my things, is it the landlords responsibility to pay for any damages? Considering the that hole was left open. Would anyone know the best way to get rid of rats?

Answer 1

It is certainly the landlord's responsibility to get rid of the rats for you, however about the damage already done, I seriously doubt you're going to get compensated for it.

Answer 2

Generally, the landlord is not responsible for damage to your personal property unless you can prove negligence on the landlord's part.

If you had noticed the hole, notified the the landlord that it needed to be covered/plugged and the landlord did not do so, then you might have cause to ask for compensation.

The landlord is responsible to cover/plug the hole where entry was made and putting out traps, bait, poison, etc.

The only way to get rid of rats is to block their entry and trap any inside. Glue traps or new plastic snap traps work well and are less messy than traditional snap traps.

Answer 3

Some cities cover rat abatement programs for free.  Check out your city's website (it is a health issue)