Pest and Rodent Control: Cost Sharing in a Condominium

Insect pest control, rodent control against mice and rats, deterring birds such as pigeons: these are hygiene operations protecting the salubrity of the common parts. In a condominium the expense is common and usually split by ownership thousandths (millesimi) under Article 1123, first paragraph, of the Italian Civil Code, because the service protects the whole building indistinctly. It is mostly ordinary maintenance that the manager can arrange within the conservation of common parts, save for work of such scope as to require a resolution.

Services protecting the common parts

Cellars, attics, courtyards, gardens, flues and sewer networks are common areas where insects and rodents find shelter. Pest and rodent control operations keep these spaces salubrious and prevent spread toward the private units. Since the benefit of the service is collective and uniform, the expense falls among the ordinary conservation ones and is split among all owners in proportion to the value of their respective units.

The thousandths criterion as the rule

Allocation by general thousandths is the natural solution for a service concerning the hygiene of the whole building. No unit is excluded a priori, because the presence of pests in the common parts is everyone's problem. The condominium regulation may provide special criteria, but absent a specific provision the criterion of the first paragraph of Article 1123 applies. The expense appears in the report among recurring common services.

When the infestation concerns only one part

If the operation concerns a portion of the building serving only some, for example rodent control in a garage common to a group of units or pest control in a secondary stairway, the expense can fall only on the owners who draw a benefit, applying the third paragraph of Article 1123. It is different when the infestation starts from a private unit through the owner's neglect: in that case the cost of the operation in the apartment stays with whoever caused it.

Ordinary or extraordinary

Most pest and rodent control operations are ordinary: periodic treatments, placing control baits, seasonal monitoring. The manager can arrange them in exercising the conservation duties under Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code. An extraordinary, costly plan, such as an extensive remediation after a severe infestation or installing permanent bird deterrents across the whole facade, is extraordinary in nature and requires an owners' meeting resolution with the required majority.

What the service includes

• Pest control against crawling and flying insects in the common parts.
• Rodent control with baits and traps in technical rooms, cellars and sewer networks.
• Deterring and repelling birds on cornices and attics.
• Periodic monitoring and certification of the operations performed.
• Targeted treatments on portions served by only some, with a dedicated allocation.

Documentation and continuity

Operations should be documented with the specialized firm's reports, both to demonstrate correct management and to comply with any hygiene and sanitary obligations. Continuity of the service, with scheduled rather than sporadic treatments, prevents infestations and reduces costs over time. Keeping the operations history allows assessing the contract's effectiveness and setting a realistic budget for the following year, avoiding unexpected expenses mid-year.

Recording the expense correctly

A recurring service like pest control should be recorded in a dedicated account and split with the correct criterion, distinguishing general operations from those on portions served by only some. Management software lets you schedule the periodic expense, apply the thousandths table or the served group's table and produce a clear report for the owners' meeting. With AmministraPro you manage recurring hygiene services, contracts and allocation tables in an orderly way: the features are described on the /funzioni page and the plans on the /prezzi page.