By Jorge Atempa, Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) · Updated Oct 22, 2026

10 Pest Prevention Tips for Property Managers

Most pest programs wait for a complaint and then spray. These ten tips help your team prevent problems instead, with a licensed professional handling any pesticide work.

1. Why should property managers choose prevention over reactionary spraying?

Reactionary programs spray after a complaint, and the pest often comes back weeks later. Integrated pest management (IPM) removes the food, water, shelter, and entry points pests need, and the U.S. EPA notes studies show IPM is the most effective way to control pests in the home.

2. Who is responsible for pest prevention in an apartment community?

The EPA says that in multi-family housing the property manager is responsible for IPM, not the pest control operator. Your staff handle inspection, sanitation, exclusion, traps, and monitoring, and a licensed professional handles any pesticide application.

3. How small a gap can a mouse get through?

Mice can get in through openings as small as 1/4 inch (UC IPM). Seal gaps around pipes, wires, and vents with steel wool, wire screen, sheet metal, or concrete, because rats chew through plastic, foam, wood, and caulk.

4. Should I pay for monthly calendar-based pest spraying?

UC IPM advises against hiring contractors for calendar-based pesticide treatments. No treatment should be done without first finding pest evidence.

5. What should I check during unit turnover?

Turnover is the best time to find problems because the unit is empty and every cabinet is open. Check under sinks and behind appliances for cockroach signs, look for rodent droppings, seal gaps over 1/4 inch, fix leaks, check door sweeps and screens, and place sticky monitoring traps in the kitchen and bath.

6. What are California's bed bug rules for landlords?

California landlords may not show or rent a vacant unit with a current bed bug infestation (Civil Code §1954.602), and must give new tenants written bed bug information before move-in (§1954.603). After an inspection, findings must be shared with affected tenants within two business days (§1954.605).

7. How should I handle tenant pest complaints?

Log the unit, date, pest, and location; ask for a photo or sample so the pest can be identified; then inspect and fix conditions like leaks, gaps, and clutter. Refer anything needing a pesticide to your licensed pro, and close the log entry only when the resident confirms the problem is gone.

8. How do I keep ants out of buildings?

Wipe up trails with soapy water, find where the ants come in, and caulk it. Fix leaky faucets and sprinkler heads, keep plants and mulch about a foot from foundations, because mulch holds moisture right against the foundation, giving pests a place to hide and more chances to get into the building. Keep trash bins emptied and clean too (UC IPM).

9. How far should trees and shrubs be from the building?

UC IPM recommends keeping tree limbs at least 3 feet from roofs and shrubs 2 feet from buildings to deny rats an easy route in. Remove climbing vines and pick up fallen fruit as well.

10. Can my maintenance staff apply pesticides themselves?

California's rules for unlicensed property staff are not clear-cut, and outdoor landscape pest control by a management company is considered work "for hire" that requires a license. The safe route is for staff to do prevention, exclusion, sanitation, traps, and monitoring, and for a licensed operator to handle every pesticide application.

Sources: UC IPM (ants, rats, house mouse, pest monitoring and recordkeeping), U.S. EPA Pest Control: Resources for Housing Managers, California Civil Code §§1954.602–1954.605, California Apartment Association summary of DPR guidance.