February 27, 2026 · 3 min read
Pests in the building: a protocol against cockroaches, rats and termites
Pests do not respect horizontal property: they come in through the car park and turn up on the fifth floor. Acting quickly and collectively is the only strategy that works.
Whose problem it is
- In common areas (car park, downpipes, courtyards, bin rooms): the community.
- Inside a flat: the owner — BUT if the source is common (a downpipe, a service shaft) or it affects several flats, it falls to the community to act comprehensively.
The effective protocol
- Do not let people fumigate flat by flat on their own: it only moves the infestation around.
- Hire a pest control company registered with the official register for an integrated treatment: common areas plus affected flats in the same operation.
- Two visits minimum (treatment plus a follow-up at 2–4 weeks) and a certificate.
Indicative costs
Integrated cockroach treatment in a small building: 200–500 €. Rodent control in a car park with bait and monitoring: similar. Termites: a different league — technical inspection and years of treatment (2,000–8,000 €), but ignoring them threatens the structure.
Cheap prevention
A clean, closed bin room, car park drains with water or a grate, and sealed service shafts: 80% of urban pest problems are a problem of open doors.
Keep reading
August in the building: what cannot stop even when nobody is around
Half the building goes on holiday, but the obligations do not. The minimum to leave covered before you go.
The community bylaws: what they are, where they are and when they matter
Your building's "small print": expense exemptions, prohibited uses, and why it pays to read them before arguing.
Blocked soil stack: who pays to clear it and how to stop it happening again
Water comes up through the first-floor shower and nobody knows whose problem it is. Where the private part ends, who pays and what to do so it does not come back.
Stop reading about managing. Try it.
Step into a sample building with everything working and try it yourself.