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Pest control for apartment buildings
Plexes, rental buildings and condos
In a building, one unit's infestation quickly becomes the neighbours' problem. We check the unit in question, the ones that share its walls and floors, and the common areas, then help you get tenants ready before we treat, by the rules.
Cockroaches, bed bugs and mice don't stop at a unit's door. They travel through shared walls, floors, plumbing stacks and ducts, and the insects also hitch a ride on furniture and boxes during moves. For mice, our page on mice in the walls shows the routes they use. Treating one unit while the one next door stays infested means you may have to start over. Montreal public health takes the same view: it recommends also inspecting the units above, below and beside the affected one, as well as common areas.
Responsibilities are shared. The landlord must keep the dwelling in good habitable condition and comply with sanitation rules, and the tenant must keep the unit clean and tell the landlord about any serious problem, as the Tribunal administratif du logement points out. In Montreal, the by-law on the sanitation, maintenance and safety of dwellings (03-096) requires dwellings to be free of pest insects and rodents. That by-law applies in the boroughs of the City of Montreal, not in the island's separate municipalities such as Dorval or Pointe-Claire; elsewhere, check with your municipality.
What's at stake in a building
Neighbouring units
We start with the unit where the problem was reported, then check the ones that share a wall, floor or ceiling with it. That's often where we find the source of the infestation, or where it's headed next.
Getting tenants ready
Treatment works when every unit is ready. We explain the instructions to pass on for each pest: emptied cabinets for cockroaches, fabrics sealed in bags for bed bugs.
Common areas
Garbage rooms, chutes, laundry rooms, basement lockers and hallways are crossroads for pests. We inspect them along with the units.
Keep a paper trail
Write down the date of every complaint, every notice to tenants and every visit. Those records will help if a file ends up with the City or the Tribunal administratif du logement.
When an infestation spreads beyond one unit
When these signs add up, the problem has probably spread beyond the unit where it was reported.
- Two or more complaints about the same pest on one floor or in units stacked above each other
- Cockroaches in kitchens or bathrooms lined up vertically along the same pipes
- Bed bugs reported shortly after a move, or after a piece of furniture sat in the hallway
- Mouse droppings in the garbage room, laundry room or basement lockers
- A tenant who sprayed store-bought products, followed by a complaint from the neighbour
- Mattresses or upholstered furniture left by the bins or in the back alley
How we work in a building
The method doesn't change, but it's organized at the scale of the whole building.
Assessment
We inspect the affected unit, the adjacent units and the common areas, then identify the pest and the routes it uses.
Notices and prep
You notify tenants within the required time; we give you the prep instructions to hand out, depending on the pest.
Coordinated treatment
We treat the units involved and the common areas with registered products, at the same time whenever possible, so pests don't take refuge next door.
Sealing and follow-up
We point out the gaps to seal, such as pipes, baseboards and door sweeps, and follow up in units where activity persists. For rodents, see also sealing entry points.
Prevention across the building
- Keep the garbage room clean and the bins covered, and have garbage taken out regularly.
- Seal pipe and wire openings between units, and install tight door sweeps on exterior doors.
- Fix leaks quickly: moisture attracts cockroaches.
- Give new tenants a note: never take furniture from the curb, and report any pest as soon as they see it.
- Use a vacant unit, between leases, to inspect it from top to bottom.
- Have abandoned furniture and mattresses removed quickly from hallways, the back alley or the bin area.
Service 24/7, free quoteBuildings we serve
Large buildings and condos
- Multi-storey rental buildings
- Condo towers
- Seniors' residences
- Student residences
- Housing co-ops
Frequently asked questions
Can't find what you're looking for? A technician answers 24/7.
Call 514-231-1615How much notice do tenants need before the exterminator comes?
Except in an emergency, a landlord must give 24 hours' notice, verbal or written, before entering a unit to check its condition or do work, as the Tribunal administratif du logement points out. For an extermination, give more notice when you can: emptying cabinets or running fabrics through the dryer takes time. Written notice, along with the prep instructions, leaves a record and avoids misunderstandings. For a specific legal question, check with the Tribunal.
A tenant won't let the exterminator in. What can I do?
Explain that treating their unit also protects the neighbours, and offer another time. Once notice has been given, the tenant must let the landlord check the unit's condition and carry out work. If there's a dispute, the Tribunal administratif du logement can order access or set its conditions.
Do all the units in the building need treatment?
Not always. Once the affected unit, its neighbours and the common areas have been inspected, we treat wherever there's activity. For bed bugs, the City of Montreal requires landlords to let the exterminator visit the entire building to assess how far the infestation has spread.
What happens if a landlord is slow to call an exterminator?
In Montreal, if nothing is done within a reasonable time after the tenant's notice, the tenant can contact the City through 311. The City can then decide to inspect the unit, require corrections and issue fines if the by-law isn't being followed. The tenant can also turn to the Tribunal administratif du logement, which can, among other things, order work, reduce the rent or cancel the lease. Acting on the first notice avoids getting to that point.
How much does pest control for an apartment building cost?
The price depends on the number of units to inspect and treat, the pest involved, the condition of the common areas and the follow-up required. The free quote is prepared after we've walked through the building.
