You open a kitchen cabinet and something skitters. Or you wake up to a trail of ants across the counter. Or — worst case — you find droppings behind the stove. Whatever it is, your first reaction is probably disgust, then confusion about what to actually do next.
Here is a practical rundown for Memphis renters dealing with pests — what to do immediately, what your rights are, and how to stop it from happening again.
Report it in writing, right away
This matters more than most people realize. A verbal complaint to the office disappears. A text, email, or maintenance request creates a record — and in Tennessee, that record is part of what protects you if the situation escalates.
When you submit your request, be specific: what you saw, where you saw it, roughly when, and how often. “I saw roaches” is less useful than “I have seen 4-5 roaches near the kitchen sink every morning this week.” That specificity helps maintenance diagnose the source faster, and it documents the timeline if the problem does not get fixed promptly.
If your property has an online maintenance portal, use it — those submissions are timestamped automatically. If not, email or text works fine. Just keep a copy.
What Tennessee law actually says
Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) applies to Memphis and most other larger cities in the state. Under it, landlords are required to keep rental units in a fit and habitable condition — and that includes pest control.
The practical version: if pests are present through no fault of yours (you did not leave food out for months, you did not create conditions that invited them in), your landlord is responsible for extermination. This applies to roaches, rodents, bedbugs, and most other common infestations.
There is a catch. If the infestation is in your unit only and is clearly tied to how you are keeping the space, courts have sometimes found that the responsibility shifts. Keep your apartment reasonably clean and you are in a much stronger position.
If your landlord does not respond within a reasonable time after written notice, you have options — including contacting the Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development or, in more serious cases, consulting a tenant’s rights attorney. You can also call 311 to report housing code violations.
While you wait for maintenance
Pest control takes time to schedule, and the treatment itself usually takes a few days to work. In the meantime:
- Store all food in sealed containers or the refrigerator. This is the fastest way to stop feeding whatever is already there.
- Take trash out more frequently than usual, even if it means small bags daily.
- Do not leave dishes in the sink overnight.
- Seal any obvious gaps around pipes under the sink with steel wool — roaches and mice both use those entry points.
- If you are dealing with ants, diatomaceous earth near entry points is non-toxic and effective as a temporary measure.
What not to do: skip the over-the-counter foggers before maintenance arrives. They scatter roaches further into wall voids and make a professional treatment less effective. They may also complicate the landlord’s responsibility if you have already intervened.
How to prevent infestations in the first place
Memphis summers are humid and long, which means the conditions pests love are basically the default here from May through October. A few habits make a real difference.
Do not let recycling pile up inside. Cardboard boxes — especially ones from grocery deliveries or take-out — are a favorite hiding spot for cockroaches and can harbor eggs. Break them down and get them out quickly.
Check the seal on your windows and the gap under your front door. If you can see daylight under your door, that is a usable entrance for insects. Most hardware stores sell door sweeps for under 5 and they install in minutes.
If your building has had a pest treatment, follow the prep instructions exactly. Leaving clutter under sinks or failing to empty cabinet contents is one of the most common reasons treatments do not take hold.
When to escalate
Most pest problems get handled quickly when reported promptly. If yours does not — if you have submitted a request, followed up, and seen no action after two weeks — do not just accept it. Contact the property office in writing again and reference your original request date. If the issue still does not move, Memphis tenants can file a complaint with the city’s code enforcement division.
Bedbugs are a special case. If you suspect them, report immediately and ask for written confirmation of the landlord’s plan. Bedbug treatment is expensive and disruptive, and Tennessee law is clear that the landlord carries that responsibility absent evidence you introduced them.
Keep copies of every request and every response. That paper trail is the most useful thing you have if the situation ever needs to go further than a phone call.
