The reality is, rats are real. They aren’t really that real until they are, and you have a tenant calling you, crying, standing up on a chair. Ok, well that may be a bit cartoonish, but the reality is that rats are the responsibility of the landlord/property owner, and if you don’t prevent it they can become a problem. Once they’re a problem once, the problem can come back, and it can significantly damage your reputation as a landlord and as a property manager. Today on the blog, we’re covering the rodents and how you can prevent them from becoming a nuisance in the first place!!
Here’s How to Prevent Rats in Your WNY Property!
Prevent Entry
The first thing you must do to avoid rats in your Buffalo, NY duplex is to seal any gaps you may have. You’ve got to prevent any creatures from being able to enter the property. This means using steel mesh or concrete to seal any cracks, holes, or gaps around the property. Even a dime or quarter-sized hole is enough for a rat to enter. Rats can chew through foam and wood, so spray foam won’t be enough. You need to be sure to secure all doors and windows to block any gaps. Standing water from leaky pipes or drains can attract pests as well. Managing vegetation and proper lawncare can also help to prevent rat issues.
Manage Food and Waste
Trash cans and trash MUST be properly managed. This is some responsibility of the tenant, but ultimately, it’s your property if you are the owner. You can trust the tenant to do everything, or you can have a plan to protect your investment. By providing secure bins and making sure any bins provided from the city or town are in proper working order, you can help ensure trash is disposed pof roperly and protected from being accessed by rats and other pests. Educating your tenants on the importance of protecting the property and the teamwork required is also vital!
Educate Tenants
Communication is key to prevention! By setting expectations in your leasing and handbook, you can ensure tenants are fully aware of the reality of rats and what their role is in preventing them. Setting pest prevention expectations is the only way you will get buy-in from the tenant, and the more you inform them and provide them with the right tools, the less likely you will be to need to show up for rat control or pay an exterminator.
Inspect & Maintain the Property
We work with landlords and property owners who don’t even live in Buffalo. If you don’t live in the area and you aren’t around to inspect and maintain it, you should certainly partner with a quality property management company to make sure the property is being properly cared for, and monitored for things like rats and pests. Be sure to avoid any clutter, trash, or other junk piles from collecting around your property. This can create the perfect shelter for rats and other pests to find and create a new home. You should always look for holes and other signs of infestation and nesting around detached garages and other structures. Be sure to conduct inspections before new tenants move in, and routinely throughout the year.
READ MORE: Our Guide to The City of Buffalo’s Rental Inspections
Act Fast
If you do have a complaint, don’t sit around and wait. It’s not only a bad look as a landlord to not react quickly to a tenant complaint, but it’s a property emergency! Not acting or reacting to a tenant complaint about rats can cause you to lose a tenant, but also cause damage and expensive bills to eradicate and seal off a rat infestation. Catch the issue quickly and take care of it, so you and your tenant can move on in peace!
Bonus- Allow Cats!
One way to avoid rats (at least inside your tenant’s apartment) can be simple… Allow cats! Rats don’t like cats!
There you have it! Your rat prevention strategy heading into 2026. If you or someone you know owns a Buffalo rental property and is looking to find a reputable and trustworthy property management company, give us a call or fill out our contact form today to get in touch with Steve, our owner! He’d love to sit down and have coffee and see how we can help you become part of our Triple Win Strategy!
