Why is the exterior survey the first step in a rental building?
The exterior survey is the first step because the entry points for autumn insects are shared across a building. A point that serves one unit often serves another, and a survey that covers the whole shell finds those points once.
A building with several units shares walls, roof edges, vents and utility entries. A gap at the head of a window on the top floor may be on the same wall as the unit below, and a vent may serve a bathroom in one unit and a laundry in another. The survey maps those shared points so a sealing job closes them for every unit at once.
A survey done unit by unit misses the shared points, because each unit's inspection sees only its own window. The survey is done by walking the whole outside, and the shared points are marked on a plan of the building so that the owner or manager can see where each one is.
- Walls, roof edges and vents are shared across units
- A window head on one floor may share a wall with another
- Mark shared points on a plan of the building
How is the sealing schedule set?
The sealing schedule follows the survey, with the shared points first and the single-unit points second. It is set before the mid-September entry the sources describe, and it is written with the date and the list of points.
The schedule is a short document with three columns: the point, the units it serves and the date it is due. Shared points are placed at the top, because one job closes several units' entries. A point that serves one unit is placed under them and is done in the same visit when access allows.
The schedule is given to the owner or the manager, and a copy is kept in the unit records. A point that is not closed on the scheduled date is marked and carried into the next visit, and the reason is written down.
- Shared points first, single-unit points second
- Three columns: point, units served, date due
- A copy kept in the unit records
- Points not closed on the date carried forward with the reason
What goes into a unit record?
A unit record lists each sighting reported, the points sealed or checked in the unit, the follow-up done, and any point shared with another unit. It gives a clear history for the owner, the manager and, on request, the tenant.
A sighting is recorded with its date, its room and the insect as far as it can be identified. A point sealed is recorded with its position and the material used. A point shared with another unit is marked, so the record of one unit shows the link to the others.
The record is kept in one place for the building, and each unit's section can be printed or shared. A record that stays in one place is more useful than a record that is passed from one visit to the next by memory, and it protects the owner and the tenant alike by showing what was done and when.
- Sightings with date, room and insect
- Points sealed, with position and material
- Shared points marked against other units
- Kept in one place for the building
Who does what: owner, manager, tenant and technician?
The owner or manager commissions the survey and the sealing, the tenant reports sightings and keeps the unit clear, and the technician records the work. The division is a working plan, not a statement of legal duty, which the lease and the law set.
The owner or manager is the person who commissions the survey and receives the record. The tenant reports a sighting with the room and the date, keeps the unit reasonably clear of food and clutter, and gives access for the sealing. The technician surveys, seals, records and recommends the next step.
This page does not say who pays for a repair, what the lease requires, or what a tenant may do if a problem is not fixed. Those questions depend on the lease, the building and Wisconsin law, and the owner, manager or tenant should raise them with the right office or adviser. The division above describes the working plan only.
- Owner or manager: commissions the survey, receives the record
- Tenant: reports sightings, keeps the unit clear, gives access
- Technician: surveys, seals, records, recommends the next step
- Legal duties: set by the lease and the law, not by this page
How does the annual plan keep the building ahead of the autumn?
The annual plan repeats the exterior survey each year, sets the sealing schedule for the next autumn, and reviews the unit records for any problem that comes back. The plan is kept on the same calendar as the sources describe.
A yearly survey is the cheapest way to keep the shared points closed, because most of them stay closed once sealed. The survey finds the points that have opened over the winter and resets them before the autumn entry. A unit that has a repeat problem is reviewed against the record to find the shared point behind it.
A plan that is written once and not repeated tends to fail after two or three winters, when the seals have aged and the record has not been used. The annual plan is the way the building stays ahead of the autumn, and it is the part of the work that the owner or manager is most likely to see benefit from.
- Repeat the exterior survey each year
- Reset points that opened over the winter
- Review unit records for repeat problems
- Set the next autumn's schedule before mid-September
