Rental Home/carpenter Ants And Rotting/florida?

Okay Now i just moved in our rental home 2 months ago. My lease stipulates I take care of pest control. I notified my landlord as soon as we moved in that we have carpenter ants. We didn’t create or bring them with us. Under the kitchen sink there was a container of rid ex and its mildewy. The counter is rotting. My landlord told me to terminate myself. Shouldn’t he have to take care of it since they were here previously? Why should I have to pay to exterminate rotting wood in his home caused by nature or previous tenants?

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3 Responses to “Rental Home/carpenter Ants And Rotting/florida?”

  1. re-re b Says:
    May 28th, 2009 at 7:35 pm

    Your landlord is responsible for maintaining certain conditions of the home. The carpenter ants will invade everything int he pantry and you will find them all over inside the house, not just the walls if they are not taken care of. I am not familiar with Florida’s laws, but I would check with the local housing authority or with someone who specializes in landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities. This should be your landlords problem because it takes more than routine pest control such as bi-annual inspection and spray and especially if it was a condition that existed already. Where I live, if a rental unit in uninhabitable for a certain number of days, it is grounds to legally treminate the lease. The Mildew and rot under the sink in likely caused from a small leak either from an improperly sealed faucet or a gasket that needs replaced. Your landlord should fix that and remove any moldy material, as this is a health risk.

  2. William S Says:
    May 28th, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    It is the landlords job to deal with pest issues. however you would be hard pressed to actually get someone like that to get it done. going to court would be a pain you wouldn’t want to deal with. go to the coop and buy some seven dust. carpenter ants are a simple pest to get rid of. sorry no good news.

  3. winterru Says:
    May 29th, 2009 at 3:27 am

    You need to consult with a lawyer on this. Your lease says you take care of pest control but pre-existing conditions might negate that. I don’t know if the law is on your side or if you will be told that you should have looked closer before signing the lease.

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