Spraying for Spiders.
Question
Is it customary for landlords to pay for spraying for spiders outside the house?
Answer
Since you use the term “house,” I’ll assume you are truly speaking of a single-family-residence (SFR) rather than a multi-unit building (even only 2 units). What is customary, even what may be legal can, in some states, be different for a SFR than for a multi-unit property.
In general, for many states responsibility for certain things related to repairs or maintenance must remain the responsibility of the landlord by law. Trying to transfer responsibility for these things to the tenant, even when specified in the lease agreement, could result in a court decision in favor of the tenant if a tenant objected. Other things can be made the responsibility of the tenant under terms of the lease agreement.
In most states, responsibility for pest control and many other maintenance items can be transferred to the tenant of a SFR as long as covered by the lease agreement. However, the landlord must be sure that anything transferred to the tenant was in good working order when the tenant moved in. In the case of pest control, this can be difficult to determine, as existing pests may not be obvious at the beginning of a tenancy. Furthermore, pest problems can depend on the season and
even specific weather conditions. The landlord would gain some defense against tenant claims that they were there from the beginning by having a reputable pest control company check the property and perform necessary extermination
and/or preventive treatments before a new tenant moves in.
You should consider researching the laws of your particular state regarding what repair and maintenance responsibilities can and cannot be transferred to tenants.
Attempting to specify that the tenant is responsible for pest control without the lease agreement having so specified adequately could be a problem. If a tenant took the matter to court claiming that a spider infestation is a habitability issue, the tenant might easily win. For multiple-unit properties, it is usually best to not try to make tenants responsible for pest control, even if allowed by law, because controlling pests usually requires simultaneous actions related to all units of
the property, as pests can otherwise simply move from one unit to another.
Regarding the specific issue of spiders outside the house, it is impossible to prevent wildlife of any kind from being outside and the majority of tenants would likely understand this. However, the landlord should make sure there are not attractive habitats available for such animals to be in areas routinely frequented by the tenants, e.g., in common areas or around doorways. For example, spiders often lurk in wood piles and it is best to keep such habitats well away from the building itself. It would, of course, be important that the house is adequately protected from spiders entering through bad fitting doors or windows and screens of same or any other openings.
If your lease agreement adequately assigns pest control to the tenant you could consider simply point out the appropriate lease clause to the tenant and see if they continue to complain. If it does not, you could try to meet them halfway, perhaps providing them with a supply of anti-spider spray. However, if this is a good tenant, you could consider having the immediate area around the house treated by professionals, as this provides some assurance of adequate treatment. Remember,
the cost of a vacancy is usually significantly higher than the cost of a pest treatment.