An owner on the third floor has their flat treated for cockroaches. Six weeks later they are back. They never left the building: they took refuge in the water riser, in the flat below, in the bin store. The same logic applies to rats in the cellars or mice moving through the service ducts.
In a block of flats, pests ignore the boundaries between units, so control has to be organised at the same scale. In a French co-ownership building (copropriété), that almost always goes through the general meeting of owners. Here is how to prepare a vote that succeeds.
Why a collective plan rather than a string of treatments
The species most often found in blocks of flats have one thing in common: they travel through the common areas.
- Brown rats: cellars, crawl spaces, bin stores, drains.
- Mice: service ducts, false ceilings, rubbish chutes.
- German cockroaches: water risers, ventilation ducts, pipe openings between flats.
- Bed bugs: they can move from one flat to another via sockets, skirting boards and corridors.
Treating one unit without treating the common areas just moves the problem. A building plan coordinates the diagnosis, treatment of the common areas, information for residents and follow-up.
What the rules say
A few useful landmarks, without going into legal detail that depends on each building and its co-ownership rules:
- The departmental health regulations (règlement sanitaire départemental) require owners and occupants, in most departments, to take measures against rodents getting in and to have them destroyed if necessary. Common areas are the responsibility of the owners' association.
- The property manager (syndic) runs the building and must see to its upkeep. In an emergency, the French law of 10 July 1965 allows the syndic to have the work needed to safeguard the building carried out on their own initiative, provided they inform the owners and call a meeting.
- The general meeting decides on contracts and spending. A rodent and insect control contract for the common areas is generally voted under the article 24 majority (a majority of the votes of owners present, represented or voting by post). The syndic or a legal adviser confirms which majority applies to your resolution.
- Competitive quotes: the meeting sets an amount above which several quotes are compulsory. Keep that in mind from the start.
Step 1: build a solid case
A resolution goes through much more easily when it rests on facts. Before the meeting:
- List the reports: ask the syndic to send residents a short questionnaire (which pest, where, since when).
- Have the common areas surveyed: cellars, bin store, ducts, courtyard, car park. A report with photos and a map of entry points is a decisive argument.
- Put figures on the consequences: gnawed cables, stock lost in a ground-floor shop, flats that are hard to re-let.
Step 2: get the item on the agenda
Any owner can ask the syndic to add an item to the agenda of the next meeting, by recorded-delivery letter or by electronic means as provided for. Attach the draft resolution and the quotes: without them, the vote is likely to be postponed.
The residents' council (conseil syndical) is your best ally. Present the file to them beforehand: a resolution backed by the council inspires more confidence.
Step 3: draft a clear resolution
A good resolution answers every question an owner will ask during the meeting.
| Item | Example content |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Rodent and cockroach control plan for the common areas |
| Scope | Cellars, bin store, service ducts, courtyard, car park |
| Contractor and quote | Company, amount, competing quotes attached |
| Duration | One-year contract, with the number of visits specified |
| Technical content | Survey, secured bait stations, gel in the ducts, sealing access points, report after each visit |
| Funding | General service charges, split according to ownership shares |
| Resident information | Notices, visit dates, instructions |
| Treatment of flats | Offered to willing occupants, at their expense or by separate decision |
One point deserves particular attention: the general meeting decides for the common areas. Working inside flats requires the occupants' consent. The resolution can provide for a coordinated campaign, offered to everyone, which maximises effectiveness without imposing anything.
Step 4: prepare for the meeting
- Anticipate objections: "it's not in my flat", "it's too expensive". Answer with the survey and with the comparative cost of an infestation that spreads.
- Offer options: a basic plan for the common areas, and an option with coordinated treatment of the flats.
- Stress the follow-up: a report after each visit, simple indicators (catches, bait consumption), a review presented at the next meeting.
After the vote: keep the plan alive
A successful plan is a plan that is followed up. The syndic circulates the schedule, residents report any new signs and the residents' council reads the reports. It is the Lock-Down Method applied to a building: detect at building level, neutralise everywhere at once, lock down the shared access points, monitor over time.
We support property managers and residents' councils with surveys, detailed quotes and annual contracts. See our pages for property managers and co-ownerships, whole-building treatment, annual contracts and our prevention subscription. Our prices give a first idea of costs, and an owner can also book a visit for their own flat.
FAQ
Your questions
Can the syndic have the building treated for rats without a general meeting vote?
In an emergency, the French law of 10 July 1965 lets the syndic carry out the work needed to safeguard the building on their own initiative, then inform the owners and call a meeting. Outside emergencies, a pest control contract is decided by the general meeting.
Do all owners pay for a building pest control plan?
For the common areas, generally yes: the cost goes into the general service charges, split according to the shares set out in the co-ownership rules. Treatments carried out inside a flat are in principle paid for by its owner or occupant, unless the meeting decides otherwise.
Can the general meeting impose treatment in every flat?
No. The meeting decides for the common areas, but access to the flats requires the occupants' consent. Good practice is to vote for a coordinated campaign, offered to everyone on the same dates, with clear information. The more occupants take part, the more effective the treatment of the building.
