Secrets of Rent to Own Stores : Bed Bugs, Roaches and Other Pest

Bed Bugs, Fleas, Roaches, these are just a few of the pests you can find living in furniture, and electronic devices. Most people are very careful about bringing used furniture in their homes, but when they purchase furniture from a Rent to Own store, the expectation is the furniture has been cleaned and sanitized.

One of the biggest secrets the Rent to Own stores don't want you to know is where their previously rented furniture has been. If you can think of the worst living conditions imaginable for people to call home, chances are an item of rental furniture has been there. No matter the amount of cleaning and sanitizing a piece of furniture has had, when it has been exposed to an infestation of pests that furniture isn't really suitable to go into another person's home.

There are few well ran stores among these RTO companies that are aware of this problem, and these store will do everything in their power to make sure they do not bring furniture like this back into their store, but even with the best of intentions accidents can happen. Not only that but even if these stores don't bring the furniture back, and toss it in the garbage the delivery workers have been exposed to this contaminated furniture, and there is a high probability that a few of these nasty critters hitched a ride on their clothing. The fact is even with 100% preparedness the RTO stores can not guarantee 100% that the furniture in their stores hasn't been invaded by pest, which leads me to another secret of the RTO industry.

Most Rent to Own companies have small budgets for pest control in their stores. A store that has furniture constantly moving from one home to another should have an exterminator visit 1-2 times a week, but their are some RTO stores that have an exterminator come in once every 2 months, so how is a customer supposed to tell a good RTO store from a bad one. If you follow these steps you might just avoid having your home invaded by pest:

1. Go to the appliance section of the RTO store, and open up the refrigerator doors. If the refrigerators are dirty and show signs of insect activity, leave immediately.
2. Look under and between couch cushions. If the material underneath the cushions has stains you might want to leave the store as well. Try not to stick your hands in these places, because you might get an unpleasant surprise.
3. Look at the under-lining of the furniture. If the lining has holes or is partially hanging off there is a chance the furniture has been exposed to mice or rat activity.
4. In electronic devices check in the venting of these devices, because many insects hide here as well. Roaches especially like to eat at circuit boards, so pay close attention to computers.

A home should be a sanctuary, and when you bring a piece of furniture in your home you should feel comfortable that that piece of furniture is free of unwanted pest. Not every RTO store is infested with nasty critters, but you have to take care that the one you choose to do business with is doing everything they can to protect their store with proper pest control.