Advice
Pest Control for Landlords and Holiday Lets
Rented homes and holiday lets face particular pest risks, and acting quickly on a report protects your property, your tenants or guests, and your reputation.
Read the guide →If you have spotted droppings, heard noises or had a complaint, we can attend promptly and tell you honestly what is going on. If you would rather stay ahead of problems, a regular programme is usually the calmer option.
Food, waste and the waterfront
Where there are busy kitchens and takeaway food near an estuary, rats are a natural risk. Food waste, bin stores, grease traps and drains all draw them in, and old quay walls and shared alleys give them routes between buildings. Mice, flies and cockroaches can cause trouble indoors, especially where storage is crowded.
We inspect inside and out in Dartmouth, looking at bin areas, drains, deliveries, dry stores and entry points. Our advice is practical: lids that close, waste moved promptly, gaps proofed and stock kept off the floor. Treatment helps, but removing food and shelter is what keeps pests from coming back.
Holiday lets, guest houses and changeover days
Accommodation businesses face a different worry. A single complaint from a guest can damage your name, whether it is about bed bugs, fleas, wasps or something scuttling in a kitchen. Bed bugs travel on luggage, so it is not a sign of a dirty property, but you do still need to deal with it quickly.
We work around check-in and check-out times and keep visits discreet. If you manage several lets in Dartmouth, we can inspect them in one trip and give you a written record for each property. That makes it easier to show landlords, agents or auditors that pest control is being managed properly.
Planned programmes for Dartmouth premises
Most Dartmouth restaurants, pubs and guest houses are better served by regular visits spaced to suit the season, since summer trade brings more food waste and more people. Each visit includes inspection, treatment where needed and a dated record. We also cover Brixham and Totnes, so owners with more than one site can have everything handled together. If you are not sure whether you need a contract, describe what you are seeing and we will give you a straight answer.
Frequently asked questions
Why are rats a problem for Dartmouth restaurants?
Harbour towns have plenty of food waste, bins and drains close to older buildings, which rats use for food and shelter. Secure waste storage and sealed gaps matter as much as treatment. We check both when we visit.
Can you treat a guest house without upsetting guests?
Yes. We plan visits around check-out and quiet times and keep the work low-key. The technician will explain what was done and whether any rooms need to stay empty for a short while.
I manage several holiday lets in Dartmouth. Can you cover them all?
We can inspect multiple properties in one round and give you a separate written record for each. That saves time on changeover days and gives you a tidy history if a guest or agent raises a concern.