Why does your tenant get to pick and choose who services the property? Can they do this in MI?

Can you prove the tenant is uncooperative with the inspections?

Me personally I would send a letter to tenant outlining what you have done to correct the situation, their lack of cooperation and an offer to let them out of the lease if they do not approve of your attempts to rectify the situation as well as a copy to whatever city official sent the violation letter.

Here's your chance to show who's in charge. If you don't it's going to be a long tenancy--- for you.

You took care of the problem. Tell tenant to keep an eye out but in the mean time you set additional traps and will check and update them.

Tenants don't refuse me entry. We give 24 hours notice of entry, and if they fail to be present or fail to allow access, there is a $40 fee or the cost of a service call.

This charge is in our lease: Tenant agreed to it up front. If that's not in your lease, fix it so this never happen again.

Tenants also don't get to demand A or B as the solution to an issue that has multiple ways of resolving. I make sure the problem gets properly resolved....in a way I deem appropriate and cost-effective.

It's time to stand in front of the mirror and give yourself this pep talk that many of us have found useful over the years...

"The land lord is in charge. The tenant is not."

I'm confused by the "violation letter from the city." For what exactly? What are they saying you violated?

You had a chipmunk in the house. You caught it and removed it. There is, so far, no other evidence of rodents. I don't see what city ordinance you could have violated?

Does your city require rodent inspections by a professional company after one is spotted in the house? If so, then your tenant might have a point. But that seems doubtful o me.

So, my biggest question before you can move forward is explaining exactly what the city says you violated either in your actions to remove the chipmunk or afterwards.

If the city was not involved, then I agree with everyone else above saying that you need to make it clear that the tenant is not in charge and you've done what was required. But a "violation letter" from the city changes that attitude a bit. What is the violation?

- John...

I dont understand how the city can denied you access to your own property.

And demand what contractor you should use.

On top off the fact it sounds like you can show that you corrected a problem. And an independent inspection found no current problems.

Did you call the city? I would want to speak to the supervisor of the department that sent the letter.

I too am very suspicious of these people are trying to pull at your expense, denying access is not helpful to resolve he problem if there is one - nobody knows right now, wait to see if they pay rent to the court or begin to evict. When they are owners they can choose who does what.

I too am very suspicious of these people are trying to pull at your expense, denying access is not helpful to resolve he problem if there is one - nobody knows right now, wait to see if they pay rent to the court or begin to evict. When they are owners they can choose who does what.

Right off the bat, if my tenant "insisted" on a professional inspection, they would have been told no. That I would take a look at it and fix anything I found that needed fixing.

This is a common problem, tenants with a phobia -- fear of insects, rodents and bugs. I had to deal with these issues in a very timely manner. If a tenant wasn't willing to:

a) wait until I show up that day or the next

b) wait for a professional, taking up to 3 days

I would have to explain that this was the best I could do and they are welcome to hire a professional and pay for it themselves.

I had a tenant that was being bothered by a strange smell in the house. She wanted to know if I knew of a professional that could inspect.

So, I brought my beagles. One beagle showed herself to be a very proficient expert. She snooted everything, zeroed in on the son’s bed. He was bed-wetting.

The beagles had done duty at this house previously when there was a rat problem in the garage. The hounds snooted the animal trails ( loudly, very loudly. it’s the only way to ‘properly’ snoot!) let me know all of the little spots the rodents had been scurrying.

I then put bait stations all along the routes, trimmed some bushes up in the back, and planted spearmint around the foundation of the garage. And then, didn’t like to do it, but, finally called city on the dump of a house next door that had multiple wrecked cars in driveway, junk in the yard. When the city cleaned the yard, rodents of all sizes were seen scampering out of things. So, even though I am more of a live and let live gal, that neighbor’s problem was affecting my property.

Chipmunks are pesky; they like to chew wires, in my experience. A pest control company likely won’t have any better success than you can do with snap traps. I don’t like killing any animals, but, I don’t want my house to burn down, especially with anyone in it. Me, I would set snap traps, baited, but Not set for a few days, to get the critters comfortable with the snap traps. Then, after a couple of days, set the traps. And, to keep it safe from kids’ hands, I would do this within a large animal trap, or dog crate that is padlocked, but has enough openings for the rodents to get in and out.

If the city notice says you must hire THIS. Company, To my mind, that is lawyer up time. If they say you must have it professionally done, but not mention a specific company, it might be less costly in the long run to find a company., but no-way would it be the company tenant wants. Me, I would post Notice to Inspect, or whatever printed up form you have (Mr. Landlord has one in his package of forms on this site,) giving proper notice, however many hours your law requires, that you will be on the property will a animal control specialist, or whatever you want to call them. If tenant says NO, in my area, that doesn’t have the ability to stop me, I am still allowed to go. Because you are adversarial at this point, take someone with you. Me, I would focus on outside of building for now, reduce the population.

We also have good success with live traps and relocating the little guys. But always seemed to get ‘more’ within a few days. I think we weren’t taking them far enough away, and the same ones came back.

Key for the success I had with my tenant was that I told her from day one on either issue, smells and rats, I wasn’t forgetting the issue, I was keeping it in my mind, and working on solutions. I told her that rodents can be tricky, that my exterminator says he has no better luck with rodents than a well-informed DIY person. Bugs, yes, he has chemicals I cannot get because it takes training. Well, that wasn’t the only key- I work hard at having good friendLY relationship with tenants, but not friends.

And, my beagles have gotten to do return inspection trips at that property. As a ‘just in case’. No loud howling and snorting means no critters have been by.

Snooting not snorting.