Termites in Your Apartment Building: A Landlord’s Guide

Termites are one of the most destructive pests out there. They can wreak havoc on your property’s structure, furniture, and even, believe it or not, people’s personal belongings. And even worse? Contrary to popular belief, they don’t just stick to standalone houses. Apartments aren’t immune to them, either. So, if you notice termites in your apartment building, you have to get going on it, and fast. In this article, we’ll guide landlords through this process and hopefully make it just a little easier. Read on to learn more.

Main Takeaways

• Termites can severely damage apartment buildings by eating away at wood structures, furniture, and personal belongings, making quick detection and intervention crucial.
• Landlords are generally responsible for pest control, ensuring rentals are termite-free before move-in and covering extermination costs during tenancy unless tenants contribute to the infestation.
• Proactive prevention and professional extermination are key, including moisture control, routine inspections, sealing entry points, and swift repairs after treatment to protect the property’s integrity.

What Are Termites, And Why Apartments Get Them

As rental property management in Baltimore, we know all too well that termites are small insects that thrive in warm, humid environments. They eat materials like wood for sustenance. Since apartments tend to be chock-full of wood, these pests flock to those buildings en masse. And unfortunately, what’s an all-you-can-eat buffet for them can spell disaster for you.

Signs of Termites in Your Apartment Building

We can promise you this: you want to be sure to detect termites in your apartment building as soon as possible. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. Every minute you spend waiting is another they’re spending eating away at your property’s structure. Here are some common signs to watch for:

• Mud tubes – Termites create thin, dirt-colored tunnels along walls or baseboards to protect themselves while traveling. You can often find these tubes near foundations, walls, and entry points and can indicate an active infestation. If you see mud tubes, avoid disturbing them. It might seem like the solution, but it actually can make termites relocate. Then, the problem will be harder to trace.
• Hollow-sounding wood – When termites consume wood from the inside, it weakens the building’s structure and leaves behind an empty shell. If you tap on wooden surfaces that should feel solid—such as baseboards or furniture—that can tell you a lot about your building’s structural state. To give you an idea, if the area sounds hollow or crumbles when you touch it, it’s a strong sign that termites have gotten to your property.
• Discarded wings – Swarming termites shed their wings when they find a new nesting location, leaving small, transparent fragments around windows, doors, and light fixtures. This happens during their reproductive season when they search for new places to establish colonies. Finding termite wings in your apartment is a clear warning that a new infestation may be forming nearby.

What Termite Damage Looks Like

To make this situation even worse, termite damage comes in multiple forms. Here’s what to look for:

• Structural damage – Termites can invade wooden beams, ceilings, and floors. This way, they literally eat at the apartment’s structural integrity. Over time, you may find your property’s walls sagging, the ceilings cracking, or even both of those collapsing altogether. If those go untreated, you could be putting your tenants in danger.
• Furniture damage – Termites can burrow into wooden furniture. And really insidious part about this is that even once termites are done with it, it might look deceptively normal. Since termites eat wood from the inside out, your furniture may seem stable on the surface, only to fall apart if you put pressure on it. Or, some other furniture might show their damage, like cracks or holes. So, that’s an issue, too.
• Peeling or bubbling paint – Termite activity can cause moisture to build up in your house. In turn, that may cause paint to peel, warp, or even bubble on your walls or frames. In our experience, many landlords write this off as simply water damage, but they overlooked termites as a possible culprit. So, be sure to avoid making that mistake yourself.

Who is Responsible for Pest Control in a Rental? 

Typically, landlords are responsible for pest control in a rental. In housing law, landlords are legally obligated to maintain a habitable living environment. And addressing pest infestations is part of that, since they can impact a tenant’s health and safety.

So, to start with, landlords are responsible for making sure the rental is free from termite infestations before the tenant moves in. Then, if landlords discover termites during the tenant’s tenancy, they must hire exterminators and cover the treatment costs. In addition, landlords should proactively conduct routine inspections around once or twice a year to check for these issues before they build up.

That said, if the tenant contributes to the infestation (like by failing to report the issue promptly), you may be able to hold them responsible for handling and paying for the infestation solutions. So, that’s one exception.

Step-by-Step: What to Do If You Suspect Termites

As a landlord, termites might seem overwhelming, but they’re not insurmountable. Here are actionable steps you can take to resolve this problem.

1. Act Immediately Upon Tenant Notification

Intervening early is crucial to so you can minimize damage. So, if a tenant reports a possible infestation, respond promptly and request photos or videos as visual evidence. If you delay, you may pay the price with extensive structural damage and potential liability issues. Also, we recommend you keep clear records of communication in case any disputes happen.

2. Avoid Temporary Fixes—Hire Professionals

DIY treatments, such as store-bought sprays, may seem simpler and cheaper now. However, they only will eliminate visible termites. They won’t eradicate the entire colony. So, it’s necessary for you to get professional extermination methods—such as fumigation or bait systems—to fully resolve an infestation. If you try to put a band aid on a big problem, the termites might keep spreading, and the problem could spiral out of control.

3. Prevent Further Structural Damage

While you wait for pest control services, take immediate steps to limit how much termites in your apartment building can spread:

• Reduce moisture – Address leaks and improve ventilation, as termites thrive in damp environments. Installing dehumidifiers in basements and crawl spaces can help slow activity.
• Limit wood-to-soil contact – Ensure wooden structures, furniture, and storage items are elevated to reduce direct exposure to termites.
• Seal cracks and entry points – Inspect and close gaps in walls, flooring, and foundation areas to prevent termites from migrating further into the property.

4. Understand Your Legal Responsibilities

Like we said earlier, landlords are obliged to provide pest-free housing and maintain their building’s structural integrity. If you ignore a termite infestation, you may be violating the law, and tenants may be able to take the issue to court. Needless to say, staying compliant with federal and local laws protects the property, your business, and your reputation.

5. Complete Necessary Repairs Promptly

Once the exterminators are done, inspect the property for structural damage. Like we said earlier, termites can weaken your property’s floors, walls, and wooden supports. That poses long-term safety risks for your tenants. So, if you need repairs, make sure you do them sooner rather than later and document that you’ve done them to alleviate any tenant concerns. Being proactive might be a pain now, but it can stop you from facing disasters later.

Preventing Future Infestations

There are certain steps you can take to reduce the risk of termites in your apartment building from returning. Here are just a few of the many ways to minimize pest infestations in the meantime:

• Maintain a dry living environment – Fix leaks, improve ventilation, and avoid excess humidity, as termites thrive in damp spaces. Regular inspections for water damage can prevent conditions that attract termites in the future.
• Store wood properly – Avoid stacking firewood, newspapers, or cardboard near walls, as termites can easily infest these materials. Proper storage methods can keep potential food sources out of reach.
• Report issues early – If you notice signs of termites again, notify your landlord immediately to prevent another infestation. Quick action minimizes the risk of prolonged exposure and potential damage costs.

Let BMG Handle Your Pest Control Obligations Today

Termites are highly destructive pests that don’t just target standalone homes—they can infest apartments, too, damaging buildings, furniture, and personal belongings. If you leave termites in your apartment unchecked, they weaken structural integrity and pose safety risks. So, it’s critical that you detect them early and intervene as soon as possible.

That said, if you don’t want to go through the work of inspecting each inch of your property for damage, coordinating with exterminators, interpreting the law to ensure you’re compliant, and more, we can handle that for you. At Bay Property Management Group, our professionals are trained in implementing industry best practices. This way, you can feel confident your responsibilities are taken care of–with only a fraction of the effort involved. Call us today to put all that weight off your shoulders.