In NSW, the landlord generally pays for pests that were already a problem when the tenant moved in, and the tenant generally pays when an infestation starts after move in and was caused by the tenant's activities or lack of cleanliness. When a problem with the property itself let the pests in, the tenant may not be responsible. That is the split NSW Fair Trading sets out on the NSW Government page Pests or vermin in a rental property, and it turns on three questions: when the pests appeared, what let them in, and whether the tenant contributed.
Who pays for pests that were there at move in?
The landlord, in most cases. NSW Fair Trading treats pest and vermin issues at the start of a tenancy as part of the landlord's duty to provide a reasonably clean property that is fit to live in. The guidance on rental property maintenance responsibilities adds that landlords must tell tenants about items that may need repair before they move in.
Evidence found in the first days matters most: droppings in cupboards, egg cases behind the fridge, live cockroaches when the lights come on, or gnawed packaging left by the last occupant. In Jannali, 28.5% of occupied homes were rented in the 2021 Census, and nearly half of all homes were units, townhouses or semis. A tenant who opens the kitchen cupboards of a newly leased Jannali unit and finds cockroach droppings and egg cases in the first week has found a problem that was there before the lease began, so the landlord or agent should arrange cockroach control in Jannali before the new household's food goes in.
When is the tenant responsible?
The tenant is generally responsible when the pest problem begins after moving in and was caused by how the home is kept. The Fair Trading example is direct: rubbish that is not removed and is attracting cockroaches, ants or mice. Tenants must keep the property reasonably clean, and the maintenance guidance makes them responsible for the cost of repairing damage they cause or allow.
Pets do not change the rule. The NSW guidance on keeping a pet in a rental property says that if there was no infestation when the property was rented out and the tenant caused one, the landlord can ask the tenant to fix it, even if the pet did not cause it.
Cause is often unclear until someone inspects. Bangor is a mostly residential suburb close to the Woronora and Georges rivers and extensive bush areas. Mice that show up in a Bangor rental halfway through a lease could be following food left out or coming through a gap where a pipe enters the wall, and only an inspection shows which, so book rat and mouse control in Bangor that records how they were getting in.
What if a defect let the pests in?
If the tenant did not cause the infestation, the tenant may not be held responsible. The Fair Trading example is a hole in the wall that lets pests in. Other factors that decide responsibility are the history of the property, what the condition report records, and anything beyond the tenant's control. Landlords must also keep the property in reasonable repair, and tenants must tell the landlord about damage or disrepair as soon as possible.
Apartments add shared walls, pipes and service gaps to the question. Cronulla had 72.5% of occupied homes as flats or apartments and 41.1% rented in the 2021 Census, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Cronulla QuickStats. An ant trail that enters a Cronulla apartment through a gap around a pipe or a cracked skirting board points more to the building than to the tenant's housekeeping, so ant control in Cronulla should start by finding that entry point and noting it for the landlord.
Are termites the tenant's problem?
The NSW pets guidance separates infestations a tenant causes from structural issues, and it names termites as an example of a structural issue. The tenant's job is to report signs quickly: mud tubes on walls or skirting boards, timber that sounds hollow when tapped, or paint that bubbles over a frame. Leave mud tubes untouched and unsprayed, because a disturbed colony moves away and keeps feeding elsewhere, which makes it harder to find.
South Kirrawee runs down to the Royal National Park, and many of its houses sit on quiet roads with bush outlooks. A tenant in one of those houses who spots mud tubes along a skirting board should tell the landlord in writing the same day, and the landlord can then book a termite inspection in Kirrawee to confirm activity and find where it is coming from.
Why do the condition report and a written record matter?
Because they are the evidence when landlord and tenant disagree. Under the NSW guidance on rental property condition reports, the landlord or agent fills out the report before the tenant moves in, the tenant completes their part, adds photos with time stamps, and returns a copy within seven days. If there is a dispute, the condition report can be used as evidence.
Write any sign of pests into that report: droppings, chewed cables, mud tubes, dead insects in light fittings or old bait stations. When a technician visits, ask for a written record of the visit that names the pest, where activity was found, the likely entry points and what was treated. That record answers the three Fair Trading questions better than memory does.
Before you book
Note when you first saw the pests, which rooms they were in, and whether anything changed beforehand, such as a new neighbour, building work or a leak. Photograph droppings, trails or damage with the date showing, and check what your condition report says about those areas. Agree who is booking and paying before the visit, and arrange access with the agent if needed. Mention children and pets in the home. Send those details when you contact our team for pest control for Sutherland Shire rentals: call Sutherland Shire Pest Control Pro on 02 8360 3033 or email [email protected], so the technician arrives knowing what to look for.