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Category: Operations & Cleaning
By: Nolan Peters
Reply by Daniel Kowalski:
Pest control is absolutely non-negotiable for STR. I learned the hard way. Get a quarterly professional treatment going — it's like $50-75 per visit so $200-300 a year. Winter hit the interior for roaches/ants/spiders, spring do exterior barrier plus interior touch-up (ants go crazy in spring), summer hit everything hard (peak season), fall focus on rodent prevention — seal gaps and set exterior bait stations because mice start looking for warm spots. Between guests your cleaner needs to: empty ALL trash completely (food waste is pest bait), clean under appliances where crumbs collect, run the garbage disposal with ice and citrus, check for standing water under sinks and the fridge drip pan. These are the things that bridge the gap between quarterly treatments. Keep some DIY supplies on hand too — ant bait stations behind the fridge and under sinks, peppermint oil spray for spiders, drain gel for drain flies. All cheap, all helpful. When pests show up DURING a guest's stay — and this WILL happen eventually — the response matters more than the problem itself. For minor stuff like a few ants, apologize immediately, send someone with bait/spray, offer a partial refund for the inconvenience. For serious stuff like roaches or wasps inside, get pest control out that same day and offer to relocate the guest. For bedbugs or mice — full refund for affected nights, relocate them to an alternative, and treat the property before the next booking. No debate. The key in all cases: apologize fast, take action (not just words), and offer compensation before they have to ask. If you're proactive about it, most guests are understanding. If they have to fight you for it, that's when the 1-star review happens.
Reply by David Okafor:
Specific advice for properties in wooded/rural areas (cabins, mountain rentals): These properties face amplified pest challenges: - **Mice/rats** — they WILL try to enter in fall/winter. Steel wool + caulk every exterior gap larger than 1/4 inch. - **Bears** (in bear country) — bear-proof trash cans are MANDATORY. Some areas fine you $500+ for unsecured trash. - **Wasps/hornets** — check eaves, deck undersides, and window frames monthly during warm months. A wasp sting = potential medical emergency + lawsuit. - **Ticks** — keep grass short, create gravel barriers between lawn and wooded areas, provide tick removal kits for guests. - **Stink bugs** — seal windows and door frames. They're harmless but guests FREAK out. I host a cabin in the Smokies. My pest control budget is $500/year (vs $250 for urban properties). The extra cost is absolutely necessary — one bad Wildlife encounter = one destroyed review. Document your pest control schedule and receipts. If a guest ever complains and tries to use it for a refund, you can show Airbnb your proactive treatment records. This significantly helps your case in disputes.