The six pins · Pin 03 of 06
Pin 03 · Pests in a rental homePests in a rental home: who arranges it, who pays
It depends on the state, on when the pests arrived and often on who caused them. Five tenancy authorities deal with pests by name on their own pages, and the table sets out what each says; for NSW, the ACT and the Northern Territory, the official guides read for this article cover repairs in general and are linked below.
General information, not legal advice. The tenancy authority linked in each row is the official place to check, and your own rental agreement matters too.
What each tenancy authority says
| Where | At the start | During the tenancy | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| QueenslandResidential Tenancies Authority | The property manager or owner must make sure the property is free from pests when the tenant moves in and throughout the tenancy, as part of the minimum housing standards, unless the pests are there because of something the tenant did. | The tenant must leave the property in the same condition at the end as at the start, and should tell the manager or owner as soon as possible about vermin. | The manager or owner cannot require a tenant to use a particular pest control service or product, pay a set fee for one, or leave the property better than they found it; the RTA lists these as offences under the Act. |
| VictoriaConsumer Affairs Victoria | The law does not always say who is responsible. The rental provider may be responsible where pests were already a problem when the renter moved in, or a fault in the property let them in. | The renter may be responsible if their actions contributed, for example rubbish left out that attracted ants, mice or cockroaches, or a pet left untreated for fleas. Renters should tell the rental provider straight away if they see signs of pests. | Pests linked to the building structure that make the home unsafe are an urgent repair. If the two sides cannot agree who pays, either can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). |
| South AustraliaSA Government (sa.gov.au) | Landlords are usually responsible for getting rid of ants, bees and wasps, cockroaches, fleas, spiders, mice, rats and snakes found at the start of a tenancy. | Tenants are usually responsible for pest control during the tenancy, and landlords need to seal entry points. White ants, possums and birds stay with the landlord. | Bees and wasps in a wall cavity are usually the landlord’s during the tenancy too; snakes are only if the landlord has breached the agreement, for example by leaving piles of rubbish in the garden. |
| Western AustraliaConsumer Protection (WA) | Under the minimum standards, the home should be free from pests and vermin at the start of the tenancy. | The tenant must prevent pest infestations such as rats and mice, and tell the landlord about maintenance or repairs. | Landlords may set cleaning, maintenance and fumigation conditions for pets without the Commissioner’s approval, and a residential tenancy pet bond for fumigation or pet damage is capped at $350, as at October 2026. |
| TasmaniaTasmanian Government (consumeraffairs.tas.gov.au) | Not dealt with separately on the page read for this article. | The tenant should first try to prevent or remove pests by reasonable means. If that fails, the tenant notifies the owner, who then has to get rid of the pests or treat their cause. | If the owner does not act, the tenant may ask the Residential Tenancy Commissioner to order the repairs, and an owner who misses the deadline in that order may be fined. |
NSW, the ACT and the Northern Territory
The official renting guides read for this article in these three places do not single out pests. They do set out how repairs work, which is where a pest problem caused by the property would sit:
- New South Wales. The NSW Government splits repairs into urgent and non-urgent, and explains the steps for each on its getting repairs done page.
- Australian Capital Territory. The ACT’s Renting Book tells tenants they must take reasonable care of the property and keep it reasonably clean, and lists the urgent repairs a landlord must carry out. The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal decides rental disputes, including repairs.
- Northern Territory. NT Consumer Affairs says the landlord must keep the property in a reasonable state of repair, allowing for wear and tear, and the tenant must tell the landlord as soon as they know repairs are needed.
Three patterns, in different strengths of language
Pests at move-in lean to the landlord
Four of the five pages put pests that are there when the tenancy starts on the landlord’s side, but with different force. Queensland’s page says the owner or manager “must ensure” the property is free from pests; Western Australia’s says the home “should be” free from pests and vermin; South Australia’s says landlords are “usually” responsible; and Victoria’s says the rental provider “may be” responsible.
What the tenant does counts
Queensland excludes pests brought in by the tenant’s actions, Victoria gives rubbish and untreated pets as examples of a renter contributing, and Tasmania expects tenants to try reasonable methods first.
Where disputes go
VCAT in Victoria, the Residential Tenancy Commissioner in Tasmania, and in South Australia the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT), which a tenant can apply to when a landlord refuses to make a repair.
Pets and pest treatments
Pet conditions are where pest control most often appears in a rental agreement, and the states handle it differently. In Queensland, a tenant may agree to the owner’s reasonable conditions about carpet cleaning and pest control as part of approving a pet. In Western Australia, fumigation conditions for pets need no Commissioner approval, and the pet bond is capped as shown in the table.