Re: Tenant wants to break lease due to ant problem

Re: Tenant wants to break lease due to ant problem by Adria (Washington) on April 16, 2017 @20:17

I am a landlord. I also live where I rent. As per WA landlord tenant law, the ant issue is the landlord's responsibility except if it is the tenant's fault.

That being said. if the ants aren't going away, it means they are in the walls. Usually it also means there is water in the wall from somewhere. The landlord is responsible for hiring someone to open the wall and find the nest. Get rid of the ants. Remove the damaged wood, repair where the water is coming from. Rebuild the damaged wood inside the wall and rebuild the drywall. Ants infestations are serious structural issues. I think I spent $400 on my infestation. It is gone. The ants are dead.

Buy pure ground cinnamon from the cheap grocery store -- the stuff without sugar. Pour it along the floor at the junction of the walls. Any ants that walk over it will have their exoskeleton punctured and will die. As a precaution I line all the floor/wall junctions.

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