Ingredients
- Your landlord’s phone number
- 1 demand letter
- Your municipal city inspector’s fax number
- Lots of sealed food containers
These furry, grey or black creatures distinguish themselves from their smaller counterparts, mice, by their size- the average rat is about 1 pound or half a kilogram in weight but can grow to be much larger. They generally have longer and larger tails as well. While it is not considered an urgent and necessary situation, it is your landlord’s responsibility to arrange an exterminator for any rats in your apartment.
Instructions:
- Call your landlord and inform them that your apartment is infested as soon as you see a rat; do not wait for it to go away and do not wait until you see more than one. Once notified your landlord must act immediately to correct the problem; this may require your landlord to hire an exterminator that can completely eliminate all of the rats.
- In the meantime, place any food that may come into contact with the rats in sealed food containers.
Tip: this is a generally good practice to prevent any pests from chowing down on your food.If your landlord does not act or the problem persists with extermination or traps:
- Write a demand letter and send it through registered mail requesting further action for the removal of the pests.
If problems persist:
- Open a file for a hearing at the Régie du logement.
- Fax your local municipal city inspector the demand letter you sent your landlord.
For more information consult this handout on Rats and Mice from the Government of Canada.
FAQ
I’m pretty sure the rats are coming from my neighbour’s apartment, what should I do?
Can my landlord intervene at any point during this process?
What if I send my landlord a letter but not through registered mail?
Can I ask to be reimbursed for any damaged items (contaminated food) in my apartment due to the pests?
