Pest control for rentals and holiday lets in Byron Bay

In a NSW residential tenancy, the landlord is generally responsible for pests that were there when the tenancy started, and the tenant is generally responsible for pests that appear later because of their own activities or lack of cleanliness. Where the cause is unclear, NSW Fair Trading looks at the property’s history, the condition report and whether something outside the tenant’s control let the pests in. Holiday lets work differently in practice: there is no tenant to share the job with, so the owner or manager books treatments between stays and plans them around check-ins.

This guide is for landlords, tenants, property managers and short-stay hosts around Byron Bay. It covers who pays, how to time a treatment when a property turns over every few days, what strata blocks have to do about notice, and what records are worth keeping.

Who is responsible for pests in a NSW rental?

The NSW Government’s page on pests or vermin in a rental property sets out the general position.

Situation	Who is generally responsible
Pests present when the tenancy started	The landlord, as part of providing a reasonably clean property fit to live in
Pests that appear after moving in because of the tenant’s activities or lack of cleanliness, such as rubbish attracting cockroaches, ants or mice	The tenant
Pests that come in through something the tenant did not cause, such as a hole in a wall	Often not the tenant; it depends on the facts
Unclear cases	Decided on the property’s history, the condition report and factors beyond the tenant’s control

The page names the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 and the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019 as the legislation behind these rules. If a landlord and tenant cannot agree, either can use NSW Fair Trading’s dispute resolution service. This page is general information, not legal advice; for a specific dispute, go to Fair Trading.

Two practical points follow from those rules. First, the ingoing condition report matters: if it records droppings, cockroaches or damaged timber, that evidence supports the tenant later. Second, a tenant who keeps rubbish out and reports problems early is in a much stronger position if an infestation grows.

How do holiday lets differ?

A holiday let has no long-term tenant living in it and keeping it clean from week to week. In practice, that leaves pest control with the owner or the managing agent, who has to fit it into short gaps between bookings. Kitchens used by a different group every few days, bins that sit between collections and outdoor showers and decks used at night all give pests more chances than a house lived in by one household.

Byron Shire also has its own short-term rental rules. The NSW Department of Planning says that from 23 September 2024 most of the Shire has a 60-day cap on non-hosted short-term rental accommodation, while two mapped precincts in and around the Byron Bay town centre and at Brunswick Heads keep a 365-day limit. The planning department’s Byron Shire page has the detail and the maps. For pest control the cap matters mainly for scheduling: a capped house may sit empty for long stretches, which is a good time to treat, while a property in a 365-day precinct may have very few empty days. The Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads area pages describe the housing in each town.

How do you time a treatment between guests?

The NSW EPA’s advice to households is to leave the treatment area while the pesticide takes effect and to come back only once it has dried and been well ventilated. On a holiday let that means asking the provider before booking how long each room needs to stay empty.

1. Ask for the re-entry time in writing. Get it per area: inside rooms, outside perimeter, subfloor and roof void can all differ.
2. Book the longest gap you have. An empty day or two between stays gives time for treatment, drying and airing before the cleaners go through.
3. Treat before the clean, not after. Cleaners can then wipe benches, change linen and set up the kitchen once the area is safe to use.
4. Plan around food and utensils. The EPA suggests covering kitchen utensils and bench surfaces before treatment, so tell the provider what stays in the cupboards.
5. Ask about the weather. Check with the provider whether rain forecast for the day changes the plan for the outside treatment.
6. Think about pets on the guest list. If the let is pet friendly, mention it, because the provider may suggest a flea check as part of the turnover schedule.

For a general treatment of cockroaches, spiders and ants, the general pest control page explains what is usually included. Kitchens with heavy turnover often need closer attention for cockroaches, covered on the cockroach control page.

What notice is needed in strata blocks and shared buildings?

The EPA says it is compulsory under Part 5 of the Pesticides Regulation 2017 to give residents notice when pesticides are used in the common areas of multiple occupancy residential complexes. The EPA’s household advice adds that property managers and strata managers are among those required to give notice in common areas of residential complexes. The EPA’s notification advice explains the rules for technicians.

Inside a single rented unit or house, the EPA also describes good practice: where a landlord has engaged the technician, the technician should suggest the landlord tells the tenants about the work. For a managed rental, that usually means the agent gives the tenant the date, what will be treated and how to prepare, along with any notice of entry the tenancy agreement requires.

What records should a landlord or host keep?

Record	Why keep it
Each invoice and treatment report	Shows when the property was treated and for what, which matters in a responsibility dispute
The full product name used	Lets you or a guest check the product, as the EPA advises
The safety data sheet for each product	A licensed technician must supply it on request; useful if anyone raises a health concern
Re-entry times given	Helps you set check-in times and brief cleaners
Ingoing and outgoing condition reports	Records pest evidence at the start and end of a tenancy
Termite inspection reports	Shows when the house was last checked and what was found, which a future buyer will ask about

For a holiday let, a simple log on the cleaning checklist also helps: cleaners note any droppings, live cockroaches, ant trails or webs they see at each turnover, with the date and room. A few weeks of those notes tells the provider far more than a single report after a guest complains, and it shows when a problem started.

Keep these with the property’s other maintenance records, and give the agent or cleaning manager a copy of the latest re-entry instructions.

What should a property manager check before booking?

Before any treatment goes ahead at a managed property, confirm the person applying the pesticide holds a current NSW licence. The about page explains how to look someone up on the EPA public register. Then check the quote states the areas treated, the product, the re-entry time and how follow-up visits work. On a regular schedule, ask whether the provider can return at the same interval each time, so the dates fit the booking calendar.

Your enquiry goes to an independent local provider, who agrees the schedule and price with you directly and does the treatments itself; this site does not visit properties. If you manage several houses, you can send a rental property pest enquiry that lists them together.

Next step

Give the provider what they need to fit the job into your bookings. Put in the property’s suburb, whether it is a long-term rental, a holiday let or a strata unit, the pest you are dealing with, the next empty dates between guests or the tenant’s preferred access times, whether pets are allowed, and who should be contacted to arrange entry. For several properties, list each address and its turnover pattern. With those details ready, send an enquiry timed around your guest calendar.

Send a job enquiry