Pest Control: How to Prevent Rats and Mice from Invading Your Home

While the kids may adore Stuart Little, he’s not the kind of guest you want running around your house! Rodents, including rats and mice, aren’t picky about where they live, and once they find a way in, they can be tricky to remove. Many people are unsure how to handle a rodent problem or who is responsible for pest control.

The good news is that spotting a rat or mouse doesn’t always mean you have a full-blown infestation. By taking a few simple steps, you can prevent these unwelcome visitors from turning your home into theirs.

1. Keep Food Stored Away
   Rodents are always on the lookout for food, so don’t leave any uncovered food lying around. Store food in sealed containers and clean up crumbs or spills promptly.

2. Manage Your Rubbish Properly
   Make sure rubbish bags are tied up tightly and never left sitting on the ground. Always use bins with secure lids, and dispose of your rubbish at least once a week to avoid attracting pests.

3. Seal Entry Points
   Mice only need a 6mm gap to enter your home, so it’s important to check for and seal any holes or gaps in walls, cupboards, floors, or doors where rodents can sneak in.

4. Eliminate Water Sources
   Rats are drawn to water, so ensure there are no leaky taps, pipes, or drains around your property. Also, keep an eye on areas near creeks, ponds, or other natural water sources.

5. Trim Vegetation
   Rodents love to hide in overgrown grass, bushes, and hedges. Regularly trimming these areas and removing any excess vegetation can make your property less appealing to them.

Tips for Maintaining Healthy Homes Compliance

Obtaining compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards for your rental property is not a one-off tick box job. Maintaining compliance requires regular inspections and ongoing maintenance. 

Overflowing gutters or a blocked drain will result in the property becoming non-compliant. Gutters and downpipes need to be cleared regularly. Any drainage issues should be dealt with straight away.  

Similarly, it is quite common for the draft-preventing little window wedges to fall off or get broken. The wedges ensure a tight fitting window with no drafts, so if they break or come off, they need to be replaced or the house will no longer be compliant. Gaps around doors and windows cannot be greater than 3mm. 

You can ask your tenant if they have noticed issues with water pooling, overflowing gutters or windows that no longer shut tight.  

However, carrying out regular inspections is crucial for identifying issues and dealing with maintenance in a timely manner. Maintaining your property’s Healthy Homes Standards status is a legal obligation. 

Regular property inspections and reports to landlords are part of our Home & Co property management services. 

Renting Your AirBnB Long Term?

So you've rented your holiday home out for the winter - does the Residential Tenancies Act apply to you? If you are renting a residential premises for more than 90 days and it is not as a temporary holiday home then yes the rules apply. You need a tenancy agreement in writing. You need to complete a Healthy Homes statement and ensure your property complies within 120 days of the start of the tenancy. Yes the laws about renewing the tenancy also apply.

Hefty fines from $750 to $$6500 apply for failing to have a tenancy agreement in writing, failing to include a Healthy Homes statement on the tenancy agreement or acting to terminate a tenancy without grounds.

If in doubt seek expert advice. If you are self managing, make sure you attend regular webinars and keep abreast of law changes.

Who Pays for Pest Control?

The most common pests in Wanaka are mice and spiders. Mice often make their way into homes when the weather gets cooler. Spiders can be a problem and many people are fearful of white tail spiders.

Assuming the tenant is not living in a way which encourages pests and the owner has not caused the infestation either, then in many cases the tenants and owner agree to split the cost as there is no legal precedent as to who pays.

We get a number of requests each year for houses to be sprayed for spiders and / or flies. It is not cheap but to be most effective both outside and inside need to be sprayed.

Mice can really damage a house if left untreated. They chew wires / doors / walls and are unhygienic . It is definitely in the owner’s interests to deal with a mouse or rat problem as soon as it occurs. A simple mouse trap can work if the tenants are willing to bait and clear them. However, mice can be very persistent and in our experience are best dealt with by professionals who will put down bait stations.