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Dealing with Pests in Your Rental
Who pays for pest control, reporting infestations, and when your landlord must act.
8 min read readLast updated: 1 March 2024
Whether you or your landlord is responsible for pest control depends on what caused the infestation and what your tenancy agreement says.
Landlord's Responsibility
Your landlord is usually responsible if:
- Pests were there before you moved in
- Pests are entering due to structural defects (holes, gaps)
- It's a communal area problem (e.g. in flats)
- The property wasn't properly cleared between tenancies
Steps to Take
- Report the problem to your landlord in writing immediately
- Take photos as evidence
- If they don't act, contact Environmental Health
- Environmental Health can require the landlord to act
Bedbugs in particular can spread quickly and are expensive to treat. Report them immediately regardless of cause.
Official Sources
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