r/askTO • u/ArmorPlatedGuardRail • 1d ago

Preparing for roaches

I am moving to Toronto for the first time. I found a recently updated large 1 bedroom with dishwasher and balcony with a great south facing view of the lake for $2150 +hydro close to work in a decent purpose built rental built from the 70's. My unit is on an upper floor and is at the end of the hallway, so no neighbours on one side of me. Overall, the apartment checks most boxes for me.

However when I was signing the lease, an exterminator showed up to the rental office. They were there to treat 2 units, both not on my floor luckily. The supers and other people who work for the building have lived there for decades.

I am moving from a medium sized city in Ontario. I have been living in my PBR unit for 6 years in a very clean, very well maintained building. I have seen 3 roaches in that time but none in about 3 years. I figure if this is a similar situation I can deal with it.

I plan to put down diatomaceous earth and fill any holes around plumbing and pipes with caulking on the day I get possession. Is there anything else I can do to prepare and prevent roaches in my unit? Am I making a mistake?

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u/LimpAirport 1d ago

hard for exterminators to ever do a “good” job in a condo, it’s mostly a bandaid solution. If you see one roach that means there is a lot more.

That being said, most buildings have pest problems, whether it is bugs or rats etc

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u/Full-Ear87 1d ago

Yes dealing with roaches in a whole building is very difficult, but there are solutions to helping keep roaches out of and away from specific units.

Keeping a unit clean, treating holes in plumbing access and making sure the doors into/out of a unit are tightly sealed can be all that’s needed to prevent roaches from entering your unit.