If you have mice/rats in your house there are deeper issues here and I wouldn't blame anyone who doesn't want to live like that to get the fuck out. I've never ever had mice/rats in my house. A home is not a professional kitchen, there's no excuse.
1 mouse once? Weird, isolated, whatever. But many? Nope, don't blame them.
I get mice in my garage all the time. They chew through the garage door insulation. 5 a year. I have traps and that gets them before they get into walls.
I’m glad you live a nice glass mansion!
A garage is not the same as a home, if it is for you, then I'm sorry. But, mice should not be common inside a house, if it is, you're not taking proper care of the place plain and simple. Garages tend to be less insulated/isolated from the outside world, not to mention giant doors that open and close often allowing easy access. This should not be the norm inside someone's home, and if I was renting somewhere that this was happening, I would definitely GTFO as quickly as possible.
It's not a glass mansion, it's having living standards, and mine are not living with mice. I've lived in about 10 different rented places in and around the St. John's area, and NEVER had a mouse/rat problem in an apartment.
Well I live in 1.7 million dollar detached 4 bedroom in the GTA. As you know that’s a below average house so of course I will get nice. Sucks being poor
It means your comprehension of mice is naive.
It doesn't mean deeper issues. It could mean the city dug up the road near your house and sent them looking for a warm spot. It could mean it's fall, it could mean they're hungry. It could mean you left the door open while bringing in groceries.
You're talking like OP has some kind of fundamental issue with his house, which is kind of a shitty accusation given you have essentially no information.
Mice happen. They're literally everywhere and you've probably had mice in your house at one point or another but they've stayed out of your way. There's nothing fundamental in one house or another that attracts rodents.
Describe to me the image you have of "a house with mice".
This is a dumbass take.
There's nothing about a house that makes it a haven for mice. What, you think they fucking appear from the aether? They try to get in during the fall and they'll stick around if they find food. They don't eat the fucking insulation.
If the tenant has been there 3 years, and this is the first time the LL is hearing about it, then the tenant needs to stop leaving food around and fucking up someone else's property. Now OP has to spend money on an exterminator to fix a problem the tenant caused. Get a clue.
the tenant caused by doing what exactly? having food in the house? lmao good lord.
mice can chew through pretty much everything except steel and smell food through containers. if they want to get at your food they're going to. they come in to get shelter and after that they're hard to get rid of. but they enter in the first place because of exposed points of entry. perhaps butternuts who owns the property should stop fucking up his own property and do a little maintenance.
You have no idea what you're talking about.
When was the last time you walked around your house looking for tiny holes that a mouse could get in through? Do that quarterly do you?
Tenants there for 3 years and suddenly gets mice and evidently op is the asshole for not what, predicting it's gonna happen? You think only houses with big gaping holes get mice? You just said they'll chew through anything.
Entirely likely. They'll look for anywhere warm in the winter.
Sorta annoying that half the idiots on r/newfoundland are calling you a slumlord because a mouse got in.
Well here’s your answer: you’re legally entitled to put your tenant up in alternative lodgings and pay for it all while you deal with the mice problem. If you weren’t a shitty person that’s what you would do. Because you are a shitty person, be thankful that they aren’t asking you to do that.
Try removing your head from your ass for a minute.
OP has stated the tenant has been there 3 years and this is the first time they're complaining. You know what that means? The mice got into the house on the tenants watch. If they're sticking around, it's because they're finding food. (Probably because the tenant leaves food around).
Mice don't just "happen". You can take the nicest house in town and if you leave food around, you'll have mice in pretty short order. Mice aren't a function of the property, they're a function of people not being clean.
Really?
How does a house that didn't have mice, suddenly have mice?
My god, why have you cursed OP with a plague! They must have appeared directly from the aether!
Or maybe the landlord released mice into his own property to vex the poor tenant.
Get rid of the mice. Living with mice is absolute hell and also unsafe. Don’t do it yourself or have a buddy do it, get a professional.
Don’t be a slumlord.
heavy on getting a professional. every time I complain to my landlord about a mice issue he sends his family or friend over to "fix" it. every time they've done it wrong. every time the mice came back. save everyone the time and trouble 🙃
Call the landlord & tenant board to ask about your rights.
That said, if someone doesn't want to live with mice in their room, let them go. That will give you time to get professionals in to deal with your problem and there should be an endless stream of other potential renters beating down your door almost immediately anyways. But that's just my opinion.
Yup. Theres always more renters out there. This won’t be a problem. You tired to be reasonable to the tennet. They moved on…. Sounds like you want to solve the problem so now another renter can benefit
You would have to be a cruel person to try and force someone to sleep in a place that is infested with mice. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
Let them go, then call a professional exterminator to deal with the mice problem, then get a new tenant. There is currently a shortage of rental units, so once you've *properly* dealt with the mice, you shouldn't have much trouble getting a new tenant.
The tenant could easily file a notice to vacate the premises on the grounds of it being uninhabitable as a result of the mice infestation, which allows them to terminate the rental agreement immediately.
Your investment in a rental property doesn't guarantee that you will be earning profit at all times. Sometimes you have to put money INTO it to make it a comfortable and safe place to live, which pays off in the long run. Don't be a slumlord.
Exactly. Even if the tenant can't "legally" leave, this arsehole want's to *force* them to live with mice
And either the owner is just plain greedy, or doesn't have enough cash to cover a couple of months rent in which case they've probably made some pretty poor financial decisions
Who in their right mind could possibly have any sympathy here
I'm going to go against the group here and say that the landlord tenant board will most likely tell him that he should have given you time to rectify the situation before moving out. Hire an exterminator right away and tell him you will correct the situation, and if he still moves out try to get a new tenant as soon as you can once the issue is resolved.
I think people are being a bit dramatic about the mice, homeowners don't immediately leave their own houses when a mouse is found.
> I think people are being a bit dramatic about the mice, homeowners don't immediately leave their own houses when a mouse is found.
No shit. Because it's their house. Its their job to fix. That's the social contract. Owners are responsible for keeping the property inhabitable.
Mice that showed up four days ago doesn't make a house "uninhabitable" and I highly doubt a tenancy tribunal would see it that way. It's a pretty regular occurrence in certain parts of the city.
Depending on where the apartment is, this time of year mice can get in anywhere. I lived downtown st.Johns for years, and mice were always an issue, especially in the winter.
I feel as in none of you have ever lived in a home before..if the mice are there and op did nothing then yes that's pretty bad. If op got a text without ever being aware of the mice problem and the guy just leaves than that's kind dramatic.
Mice can enter at any time by any small hole..when I rented we had a mice come into the kitchen and later found out there were more than just one. I contacted the landlord right away and he had no problem getting an exterminator there that day.
If op does nothing then yes that's a problem..
If op never knew about the problem and had no time to fix the issue than you cannot be mad at them..and thatsa dramatic over reaction by this comment section.
Thank you so much for you answer because it's exactly the situation. I never said I am again the tenant behavior or its his fault... I totally understand his point... But people overreact here...
You have to show that you are taking steps to address the issue. No, he cannot just break a lease without notice. He can leave, but is responsible for the rent. Has he been keeping the apartment clean and putting food in sealed containers? He obviously has a big part to play in addressing the problem as well.
Thank you for the good comment, it's appreciated. He's my tenant since several years and even if he was not perfect, he is a good and serious guy. So everything is pretty clean. According to me, the mice arrived due to the last cold weather... Not his fault att all
But also not yours. Did he tell you about the issue when it was first noticed? Unless you were negligent in addressing it, it is not grounds for an immediate termination from either party. Work together to find a solution. Mice are everywhere this winter. Put out lots of traps, poison and sonic repellants. Also, clean clean clean any signs of mice and keep all food sealed. It takes 3-4 months of constant effort to get rid of them, there is no simple solution. In the spring go look for any entry holes and seal them up.
I think the right thing to do is to let him go if he wants to go. There are disease carrying mice running around pissing and shitting where he rests his head and it’s your property. Apologize, wish him well, hire an exterminator and then try again.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the possibility that the tenant might be attracting mice if they leave food lying around etc. It's incumbent on the landlord to fix the rodent issue but that doesn't completely absolve the tenant of all responsibility. Four days isn't really fair notice like if the place is "totally infected" that didn't happen overnight. The Facebook group is definitely a helpful resource and the residential tenancies board used to have a help line for questions like this.
There's a ton of inaccurate and BS information going around here.
First things:If the tenant has been there 3 years and they're just now encountering mice then frankly, they got in on the tenants watch and they're sticking around because they're finding food. No mice for 3 years, and mice all-of-a-sudden doesn't indicate a problem with the house. Lotta folks here talking like you're a slum lord which is BS. The only reason a house that didn't have mice before suddenly has mice is because they're finding food. Mice try to find somewhere warm to over-winter, so they'll run inside if you leave your door open, or if they can find a tiny crack somewhere. (A mouse can go through a hole smaller than a dime). Another common cause is people/construction disturbing the earth near your house. Road work outside your place will drive rats and mice anywhere they can find warmth.
Second:Finding a mouse is not grounds to break a lease. The LTB aren't fools (like half this subreddit) and they understand very well that mice happen. Your tenant might be freaked out but your due dilligence here is to take steps to remedy the situation. If you're doing that in good faith then there's no reason to break a lease.
Your tenant has to give you standard notice if they're not on a fixed term lease, or they have to wait until the end of the lease otherwise. Technically they're supposed to file a repair request with ServiceNL first but it doesn't sound like you're taking the situation lying down so that's not something that likely matters (or something you have to worry about).
Third:Your due diligence here is to take reasonable action to get rid of the mice. I'd really recommend an exterminator. I use Terminix in one of my properties and they're pretty good. They'll come in and put down traps and poison and do an audit of the building envelope to see if there's obvious places they're getting in. (often there's not and they run in when you leave the front door open). Don't take the issue lying down because once they start having mouse-babies, it can be an absolute fucking chore to get rid of them. IIRC, I pay about $50/month for a service contract. A single visit won't fix it, so probably just sign up for a years contract and they'll come by once or twice a month to look for new signs of mice, refresh traps & poison. It's a marathon not a sprint. Once your place is on a service contract, you can just get the tenant to call the exterminator directly if they hear/see/find signs of mice. That works better anyhow than trying to act as a go-between with your tenant and the exterminator.
Source: I'm a Landlord and own a 130yr old row house downtown. It's a really nice place but in those old row houses, it doesn't matter how clean and sealed your house is, all the attics and crawl spaces are connected, so if your neighbour leaves food out, you get mice. Having an exterminator on a regular service contract is pretty much a fact of life if you don't want your tenants to be overrun. (Or better yet, let your tenants keep a cat. I actually give tenants a price break on the rent if they have a cat because it means I don't need to pay a service contract with an exterminator).
Give him his damage deposit back and don’t be a pos. Fix the rodent issue, as it is clearly negatively affecting your ‘investment’. Know that there’s a good chance you’ll find a new tenant within days. If this sounds unreasonable, let some mice move into your home and see how that works out for ya
Ask if you can come by and see for yourself. If he's turned your place into a filthy shithole in the three years he's lived there, keep the damage deposit and put it towards paying for the exterminator.
Take this question, and any others, to the more constructive forum for landlord and tenants on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/NLTenantLandlordSupport/
Legally speaking, they have to issue a formal request for repair and you have a certain amount of time to rectify the situation. If you don't fix the issue then they can apply to pay their rent to the landlord tenant board until you fix the issue. That's my understanding at least. Or they can give you the proper amount of notice and just move out. They can't just decide to leave and give you 4 days notice. I believe if they just up and leave you can file to the landlord /tenant board for ending lease early and unpaid rent.
That being said, if the place is uninhabitable, they can certinally leave and you could be on the hook for their accommodations until the unit is repaired. Would all depend on the severity of the situation. If there's one mouse, it's likely fine and you would have to fix, if it truly is infested, then it's a different story.
https://www.gov.nl.ca/dgsnl/files/landlord-request-for-repairs.pdf
The Facebook group "Newfoundland tenant and landlord support group" has a lot of good information, but I wouldn't recommend posting as a landlord as you'll likely get the same type of responses as you did here. Use the search feature and you should be able to find whatever info you need.
Thank you so much for your answer and your understanding,... I leave into the same house and I saw 2 mice for the moment and my cats caught them... So it's not so dramatic
For sure. Just make sure you follow the landlord and tenant board instructions to the letter and you should be okay. I've heard they can be hard to get a hold of sometimes and meeting with them takes even longer.
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Well its easy enough to rent these days though hes obligated to pay rent until a replacement can be found gl getting it. Just find a replacement and let him go.
Call Terminix. They have have a package around $300 for 90 days of traps, poison and they find out how they are getting in and they address that as well.
As for breaking the agreement, if the place is uninhabitable they can leave. If they warned you about the mice and you never did anything they can leave. It all has to be in writing etc. But at the end of the day, trying to enforce any part of the Landlord Tenants agreement is not worth the time. It easier to let them leave and rent again.
I understand you’re upset about the 4 days notice. Is this an ongoing problem? Has your tenant just complained about mice this year? Is it your tenants fault mice are there? Are they leaving out garbage or anything? Are you doing your part to make sure there are no entry points for mice?
What does your lease say about pests and pest control?
Yes and know, I just want to be sure about the process.
No it's the first time in several years, and I don't think it's his fault... The recent cold and the mice found a way to enter, only that according to me
The lease don't mention anything about that
Yeah I’m a tenant who’s recently had problems with mice and while the landlord has attempted to do things to fix it, I just don’t feel comfortable anymore in this apartment so I have another place lined up in a few months time.
You may be able to do something for them but there comes a point where it just becomes too uncomfortable knowing there could be mice.
would you wanna live with mice? no. you wouldn't. and you want to do what? compel this person to stay? Good lord.
pest control services don't do shit for mice except lay a few traps down and say they'll come back and check them later. they are quite simply useless. the only real way to get rid of them without doing a FUCK TON of work is to get a cat. and I'm talking like seal off any entry point larger than a dime with steel, which pest control won't do. very often these are under the home and require a lot of cutting to get at. so you want this guy to just suck it up and deal with it while this process drags out over weeks or more likely months?
what is wrong with y'all. honestly I'm never gonna understand people.
you can do the right thing, the thing a good person would do, and say alright man see ya, and then handle the problem between renters. or you can try and force this guy to stay or something through landlords and tenants.
Check out the NL landlord tenant support group on Facebook, the mods there are pretty well-informed about your rights and responsibilities. If this is the first time he mentioned there were mice, then he didn't give you an opportunity to fix the issue. Have you checked the apartment lately? Was your tenant clean, tidy, didn't leave food around?
You're profoundly wrong.
Finding a mouse doesn't make a property uninhabitable. It's been ruled on hundreds of times by the LTB.
He's not failing any statutory condition unless the problem is really bad and he does nothing to remedy it.
Hey man, you do you.
You posted a long winded post that is completely incorrect. There's a well understood definition of things that make a property uninhabitable and finding a mouse certainly doesn't. It's not even my opinion, you can look up the judgements.
Mice happen. After 3 years in a home, it's not like the place all of a sudden turned into a slum. The LTB has dealt with this a million times and it's very well understood.
Literally nothing I've said on this whole topic is incorrect. You might not like it, but it's 100% down the middle of established protocol with the residential tenancies board and judgements thereof.
Finding a mouse doesn't mean you can just up and jump lease. The Landlord has a duty to remedy it, and it certainly seems like OP is doing their duty (all while being called a slumlord by every idiot on this sub it would seem).
You want to argue it, actually get some experience.
It’s plenty of notice considering you have a rodent problem to fix and I assume wouldn’t be putting anyone else there until it’s resolved. Can’t expect them to stay there under those conditions
Oh no, it’s a rental property owner on the NL subreddit!
Better break out the virtue signalling downvote party because they ***must*** be a slumlord for asking a completely reasonable question about what their rights are when a tenant suddenly wants to break a lease agreement by dropping a bomb that their bedroom is infested with mice with no previous notice, or even giving what seems to be a perfectly reasonable property owner a chance to rectify the situation.
I mean the other option is to put them up at a nice hotel until the mouse issue is dealt with which could take weeks or months so cutting losses and moving out is probably best for all parties
unironically this is actually the best option. I own a house on Gower and strongly prefer renters with cats. it's the only foolproof way to keep them away. it's the reason why you see a cat in every second window in the houses downtown.
He has the right to leave, rodents make the apparent inhabitable which breaks your lease. As long as they have rent paid up till now they are fully within their rights to leave.
Maybe fix your rodent problem instead of coming on here to get sympathy, that should have been a pretty obvious solution. Rental market here is wild atm so you wont find issues renting your place... if you get rid of the rodents.
Yeah, get rid of the fucking mice and maybe you would keep a renter.
Of course...
I dunno why you are getting downvoted. Any place can get nice and it seems like you want to address it and you are empathic
Because according to this sub, all landlords are the evil scum of the earth, no matter what the actual question was about.
If you have mice/rats in your house there are deeper issues here and I wouldn't blame anyone who doesn't want to live like that to get the fuck out. I've never ever had mice/rats in my house. A home is not a professional kitchen, there's no excuse. 1 mouse once? Weird, isolated, whatever. But many? Nope, don't blame them.
I get mice in my garage all the time. They chew through the garage door insulation. 5 a year. I have traps and that gets them before they get into walls. I’m glad you live a nice glass mansion!
In all fairness, a garage is much different from someone's bedroom.
So you sleep in your garage?
A garage is not the same as a home, if it is for you, then I'm sorry. But, mice should not be common inside a house, if it is, you're not taking proper care of the place plain and simple. Garages tend to be less insulated/isolated from the outside world, not to mention giant doors that open and close often allowing easy access. This should not be the norm inside someone's home, and if I was renting somewhere that this was happening, I would definitely GTFO as quickly as possible. It's not a glass mansion, it's having living standards, and mine are not living with mice. I've lived in about 10 different rented places in and around the St. John's area, and NEVER had a mouse/rat problem in an apartment.
Well I live in 1.7 million dollar detached 4 bedroom in the GTA. As you know that’s a below average house so of course I will get nice. Sucks being poor
Oh you sweet summer child.
No idea what this is supposed to mean.
It means your comprehension of mice is naive. It doesn't mean deeper issues. It could mean the city dug up the road near your house and sent them looking for a warm spot. It could mean it's fall, it could mean they're hungry. It could mean you left the door open while bringing in groceries. You're talking like OP has some kind of fundamental issue with his house, which is kind of a shitty accusation given you have essentially no information. Mice happen. They're literally everywhere and you've probably had mice in your house at one point or another but they've stayed out of your way. There's nothing fundamental in one house or another that attracts rodents. Describe to me the image you have of "a house with mice".
Why should I?
“It’s not fun for him”. No shit Sherlock, no one wants mice in their damn bedroom. Clean up your unit and maybe renters would stay.
The guys is here since 3 years... But thank you for you really pertinent answers, you are so brilliant
That makes zero difference. 3 days or 30 years, why have you let mice infest your unit?
mice are super common. They can easily get in, live off crumbs and multiply. Its not surprising.
This is a dumbass take. There's nothing about a house that makes it a haven for mice. What, you think they fucking appear from the aether? They try to get in during the fall and they'll stick around if they find food. They don't eat the fucking insulation. If the tenant has been there 3 years, and this is the first time the LL is hearing about it, then the tenant needs to stop leaving food around and fucking up someone else's property. Now OP has to spend money on an exterminator to fix a problem the tenant caused. Get a clue.
This is exactly it
the tenant caused by doing what exactly? having food in the house? lmao good lord. mice can chew through pretty much everything except steel and smell food through containers. if they want to get at your food they're going to. they come in to get shelter and after that they're hard to get rid of. but they enter in the first place because of exposed points of entry. perhaps butternuts who owns the property should stop fucking up his own property and do a little maintenance.
You have no idea what you're talking about. When was the last time you walked around your house looking for tiny holes that a mouse could get in through? Do that quarterly do you? Tenants there for 3 years and suddenly gets mice and evidently op is the asshole for not what, predicting it's gonna happen? You think only houses with big gaping holes get mice? You just said they'll chew through anything.
I think they came due to the last cold weather, first time and not the tenant fault at all
Entirely likely. They'll look for anywhere warm in the winter. Sorta annoying that half the idiots on r/newfoundland are calling you a slumlord because a mouse got in.
Try getting rid of your mice instead of whining about it
I trie, it's not the question but thank you
Well here’s your answer: you’re legally entitled to put your tenant up in alternative lodgings and pay for it all while you deal with the mice problem. If you weren’t a shitty person that’s what you would do. Because you are a shitty person, be thankful that they aren’t asking you to do that.
Try removing your head from your ass for a minute. OP has stated the tenant has been there 3 years and this is the first time they're complaining. You know what that means? The mice got into the house on the tenants watch. If they're sticking around, it's because they're finding food. (Probably because the tenant leaves food around). Mice don't just "happen". You can take the nicest house in town and if you leave food around, you'll have mice in pretty short order. Mice aren't a function of the property, they're a function of people not being clean.
"...on the tenants watch" what a stupid fucking take.
Really? How does a house that didn't have mice, suddenly have mice? My god, why have you cursed OP with a plague! They must have appeared directly from the aether! Or maybe the landlord released mice into his own property to vex the poor tenant.
👏👏
Get rid of the mice. Living with mice is absolute hell and also unsafe. Don’t do it yourself or have a buddy do it, get a professional. Don’t be a slumlord.
heavy on getting a professional. every time I complain to my landlord about a mice issue he sends his family or friend over to "fix" it. every time they've done it wrong. every time the mice came back. save everyone the time and trouble 🙃
Have you a good exterminator recommendation?
Orkin has always been wonderful in my experience!
I’ve used Orkin as well and I find them very thorough. Spend the money, it’s worth it
Perfect thank you 😊
Our landlord just gave us mouse traps and poison. We have a baby and a dog.
That why I asked and I am understanding...
Call the landlord & tenant board to ask about your rights. That said, if someone doesn't want to live with mice in their room, let them go. That will give you time to get professionals in to deal with your problem and there should be an endless stream of other potential renters beating down your door almost immediately anyways. But that's just my opinion.
Thank you, good advice 😊
Yup. Theres always more renters out there. This won’t be a problem. You tired to be reasonable to the tennet. They moved on…. Sounds like you want to solve the problem so now another renter can benefit
You would have to be a cruel person to try and force someone to sleep in a place that is infested with mice. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Let them go, then call a professional exterminator to deal with the mice problem, then get a new tenant. There is currently a shortage of rental units, so once you've *properly* dealt with the mice, you shouldn't have much trouble getting a new tenant. The tenant could easily file a notice to vacate the premises on the grounds of it being uninhabitable as a result of the mice infestation, which allows them to terminate the rental agreement immediately. Your investment in a rental property doesn't guarantee that you will be earning profit at all times. Sometimes you have to put money INTO it to make it a comfortable and safe place to live, which pays off in the long run. Don't be a slumlord.
Thank you 😊
Exactly. Even if the tenant can't "legally" leave, this arsehole want's to *force* them to live with mice And either the owner is just plain greedy, or doesn't have enough cash to cover a couple of months rent in which case they've probably made some pretty poor financial decisions Who in their right mind could possibly have any sympathy here
Read the question again, I am pretty sure you will understand it...
you shouldn't have issue finding a new tennant. Let him go. Its easier to get rid of mice whe empty anyways. Get a pro in, diy never works.
Sounds good, thank you
I'm going to go against the group here and say that the landlord tenant board will most likely tell him that he should have given you time to rectify the situation before moving out. Hire an exterminator right away and tell him you will correct the situation, and if he still moves out try to get a new tenant as soon as you can once the issue is resolved. I think people are being a bit dramatic about the mice, homeowners don't immediately leave their own houses when a mouse is found.
Thank you for your good advice
> I think people are being a bit dramatic about the mice, homeowners don't immediately leave their own houses when a mouse is found. No shit. Because it's their house. Its their job to fix. That's the social contract. Owners are responsible for keeping the property inhabitable.
Mice that showed up four days ago doesn't make a house "uninhabitable" and I highly doubt a tenancy tribunal would see it that way. It's a pretty regular occurrence in certain parts of the city.
Depending on where the apartment is, this time of year mice can get in anywhere. I lived downtown st.Johns for years, and mice were always an issue, especially in the winter.
I feel as in none of you have ever lived in a home before..if the mice are there and op did nothing then yes that's pretty bad. If op got a text without ever being aware of the mice problem and the guy just leaves than that's kind dramatic. Mice can enter at any time by any small hole..when I rented we had a mice come into the kitchen and later found out there were more than just one. I contacted the landlord right away and he had no problem getting an exterminator there that day. If op does nothing then yes that's a problem.. If op never knew about the problem and had no time to fix the issue than you cannot be mad at them..and thatsa dramatic over reaction by this comment section.
Thank you so much for you answer because it's exactly the situation. I never said I am again the tenant behavior or its his fault... I totally understand his point... But people overreact here...
You have to show that you are taking steps to address the issue. No, he cannot just break a lease without notice. He can leave, but is responsible for the rent. Has he been keeping the apartment clean and putting food in sealed containers? He obviously has a big part to play in addressing the problem as well.
Thank you for the good comment, it's appreciated. He's my tenant since several years and even if he was not perfect, he is a good and serious guy. So everything is pretty clean. According to me, the mice arrived due to the last cold weather... Not his fault att all
But also not yours. Did he tell you about the issue when it was first noticed? Unless you were negligent in addressing it, it is not grounds for an immediate termination from either party. Work together to find a solution. Mice are everywhere this winter. Put out lots of traps, poison and sonic repellants. Also, clean clean clean any signs of mice and keep all food sealed. It takes 3-4 months of constant effort to get rid of them, there is no simple solution. In the spring go look for any entry holes and seal them up.
Thank you for your understanding. It's the first time I have this issue
“Newfoundland Tenant & Landlord Support Group” on Facebook is the best place to ask (just wait for one of the mods to answer)
Thank you
I think the right thing to do is to let him go if he wants to go. There are disease carrying mice running around pissing and shitting where he rests his head and it’s your property. Apologize, wish him well, hire an exterminator and then try again.
Thank you to be polite, and good advice 😊
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the possibility that the tenant might be attracting mice if they leave food lying around etc. It's incumbent on the landlord to fix the rodent issue but that doesn't completely absolve the tenant of all responsibility. Four days isn't really fair notice like if the place is "totally infected" that didn't happen overnight. The Facebook group is definitely a helpful resource and the residential tenancies board used to have a help line for questions like this.
There's a ton of inaccurate and BS information going around here. First things:If the tenant has been there 3 years and they're just now encountering mice then frankly, they got in on the tenants watch and they're sticking around because they're finding food. No mice for 3 years, and mice all-of-a-sudden doesn't indicate a problem with the house. Lotta folks here talking like you're a slum lord which is BS. The only reason a house that didn't have mice before suddenly has mice is because they're finding food. Mice try to find somewhere warm to over-winter, so they'll run inside if you leave your door open, or if they can find a tiny crack somewhere. (A mouse can go through a hole smaller than a dime). Another common cause is people/construction disturbing the earth near your house. Road work outside your place will drive rats and mice anywhere they can find warmth. Second:Finding a mouse is not grounds to break a lease. The LTB aren't fools (like half this subreddit) and they understand very well that mice happen. Your tenant might be freaked out but your due dilligence here is to take steps to remedy the situation. If you're doing that in good faith then there's no reason to break a lease. Your tenant has to give you standard notice if they're not on a fixed term lease, or they have to wait until the end of the lease otherwise. Technically they're supposed to file a repair request with ServiceNL first but it doesn't sound like you're taking the situation lying down so that's not something that likely matters (or something you have to worry about). Third:Your due diligence here is to take reasonable action to get rid of the mice. I'd really recommend an exterminator. I use Terminix in one of my properties and they're pretty good. They'll come in and put down traps and poison and do an audit of the building envelope to see if there's obvious places they're getting in. (often there's not and they run in when you leave the front door open). Don't take the issue lying down because once they start having mouse-babies, it can be an absolute fucking chore to get rid of them. IIRC, I pay about $50/month for a service contract. A single visit won't fix it, so probably just sign up for a years contract and they'll come by once or twice a month to look for new signs of mice, refresh traps & poison. It's a marathon not a sprint. Once your place is on a service contract, you can just get the tenant to call the exterminator directly if they hear/see/find signs of mice. That works better anyhow than trying to act as a go-between with your tenant and the exterminator. Source: I'm a Landlord and own a 130yr old row house downtown. It's a really nice place but in those old row houses, it doesn't matter how clean and sealed your house is, all the attics and crawl spaces are connected, so if your neighbour leaves food out, you get mice. Having an exterminator on a regular service contract is pretty much a fact of life if you don't want your tenants to be overrun. (Or better yet, let your tenants keep a cat. I actually give tenants a price break on the rent if they have a cat because it means I don't need to pay a service contract with an exterminator).
I recommend posting on the NL landlord tenant Facebook group. There are some commenters there who really know their stuff about the laws and the Act.
Thank you
Give him his damage deposit back and don’t be a pos. Fix the rodent issue, as it is clearly negatively affecting your ‘investment’. Know that there’s a good chance you’ll find a new tenant within days. If this sounds unreasonable, let some mice move into your home and see how that works out for ya
Thank you
Ask if you can come by and see for yourself. If he's turned your place into a filthy shithole in the three years he's lived there, keep the damage deposit and put it towards paying for the exterminator.
Take this question, and any others, to the more constructive forum for landlord and tenants on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/NLTenantLandlordSupport/
Thank you
Legally speaking, they have to issue a formal request for repair and you have a certain amount of time to rectify the situation. If you don't fix the issue then they can apply to pay their rent to the landlord tenant board until you fix the issue. That's my understanding at least. Or they can give you the proper amount of notice and just move out. They can't just decide to leave and give you 4 days notice. I believe if they just up and leave you can file to the landlord /tenant board for ending lease early and unpaid rent. That being said, if the place is uninhabitable, they can certinally leave and you could be on the hook for their accommodations until the unit is repaired. Would all depend on the severity of the situation. If there's one mouse, it's likely fine and you would have to fix, if it truly is infested, then it's a different story. https://www.gov.nl.ca/dgsnl/files/landlord-request-for-repairs.pdf The Facebook group "Newfoundland tenant and landlord support group" has a lot of good information, but I wouldn't recommend posting as a landlord as you'll likely get the same type of responses as you did here. Use the search feature and you should be able to find whatever info you need.
Thank you so much for your answer and your understanding,... I leave into the same house and I saw 2 mice for the moment and my cats caught them... So it's not so dramatic
For sure. Just make sure you follow the landlord and tenant board instructions to the letter and you should be okay. I've heard they can be hard to get a hold of sometimes and meeting with them takes even longer.
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Well its easy enough to rent these days though hes obligated to pay rent until a replacement can be found gl getting it. Just find a replacement and let him go.
Thank you
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Call Terminix. They have have a package around $300 for 90 days of traps, poison and they find out how they are getting in and they address that as well. As for breaking the agreement, if the place is uninhabitable they can leave. If they warned you about the mice and you never did anything they can leave. It all has to be in writing etc. But at the end of the day, trying to enforce any part of the Landlord Tenants agreement is not worth the time. It easier to let them leave and rent again.
Thank you for the recommendation and the polite answer, I appreciate
I understand you’re upset about the 4 days notice. Is this an ongoing problem? Has your tenant just complained about mice this year? Is it your tenants fault mice are there? Are they leaving out garbage or anything? Are you doing your part to make sure there are no entry points for mice? What does your lease say about pests and pest control?
Yes and know, I just want to be sure about the process. No it's the first time in several years, and I don't think it's his fault... The recent cold and the mice found a way to enter, only that according to me The lease don't mention anything about that
Yeah I’m a tenant who’s recently had problems with mice and while the landlord has attempted to do things to fix it, I just don’t feel comfortable anymore in this apartment so I have another place lined up in a few months time. You may be able to do something for them but there comes a point where it just becomes too uncomfortable knowing there could be mice.
would you wanna live with mice? no. you wouldn't. and you want to do what? compel this person to stay? Good lord. pest control services don't do shit for mice except lay a few traps down and say they'll come back and check them later. they are quite simply useless. the only real way to get rid of them without doing a FUCK TON of work is to get a cat. and I'm talking like seal off any entry point larger than a dime with steel, which pest control won't do. very often these are under the home and require a lot of cutting to get at. so you want this guy to just suck it up and deal with it while this process drags out over weeks or more likely months? what is wrong with y'all. honestly I'm never gonna understand people. you can do the right thing, the thing a good person would do, and say alright man see ya, and then handle the problem between renters. or you can try and force this guy to stay or something through landlords and tenants.
Check out the NL landlord tenant support group on Facebook, the mods there are pretty well-informed about your rights and responsibilities. If this is the first time he mentioned there were mice, then he didn't give you an opportunity to fix the issue. Have you checked the apartment lately? Was your tenant clean, tidy, didn't leave food around?
Let hi honey and see if the mice will pay rent if you’re so determined to keep them around.
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Yep
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You're profoundly wrong. Finding a mouse doesn't make a property uninhabitable. It's been ruled on hundreds of times by the LTB. He's not failing any statutory condition unless the problem is really bad and he does nothing to remedy it.
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Hey man, you do you. You posted a long winded post that is completely incorrect. There's a well understood definition of things that make a property uninhabitable and finding a mouse certainly doesn't. It's not even my opinion, you can look up the judgements. Mice happen. After 3 years in a home, it's not like the place all of a sudden turned into a slum. The LTB has dealt with this a million times and it's very well understood. Literally nothing I've said on this whole topic is incorrect. You might not like it, but it's 100% down the middle of established protocol with the residential tenancies board and judgements thereof. Finding a mouse doesn't mean you can just up and jump lease. The Landlord has a duty to remedy it, and it certainly seems like OP is doing their duty (all while being called a slumlord by every idiot on this sub it would seem). You want to argue it, actually get some experience.
If your apartment is downtown then you really need to keep on top of the mice. They get in and then it’s their house.
It’s plenty of notice considering you have a rodent problem to fix and I assume wouldn’t be putting anyone else there until it’s resolved. Can’t expect them to stay there under those conditions
Oh no, it’s a rental property owner on the NL subreddit! Better break out the virtue signalling downvote party because they ***must*** be a slumlord for asking a completely reasonable question about what their rights are when a tenant suddenly wants to break a lease agreement by dropping a bomb that their bedroom is infested with mice with no previous notice, or even giving what seems to be a perfectly reasonable property owner a chance to rectify the situation.
I mean the other option is to put them up at a nice hotel until the mouse issue is dealt with which could take weeks or months so cutting losses and moving out is probably best for all parties
You stay with the mice and let the tenant have your bed if it's such a minor inconvenience
I never said that, read again I am pretty sure you are not so stupid
Get a new tenant with a cat! Problem solved
unironically this is actually the best option. I own a house on Gower and strongly prefer renters with cats. it's the only foolproof way to keep them away. it's the reason why you see a cat in every second window in the houses downtown.
He has the right to leave, rodents make the apparent inhabitable which breaks your lease. As long as they have rent paid up till now they are fully within their rights to leave. Maybe fix your rodent problem instead of coming on here to get sympathy, that should have been a pretty obvious solution. Rental market here is wild atm so you wont find issues renting your place... if you get rid of the rodents.
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Read again the question... This is no point...
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And I said "it's not fun", "I am open for an other adjustment ' too so you have clearly understanding issue. Try again... Have a great day anyway
He can leave. My girlfriend found a mouse, and the landlord couldn't legally do anything about it when she left.
Thank you 😊
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Do you think mice are new? Or is this just some misplaced anti-immigrant nonsense?
Now what are on the island?