A lot of people don’t understand that landlords have some legal responsibilities with regards to bed bugs. Bed bugs are a growing problem and come from many sources. Because of this, it is your responsibility as the landlord to know and understand your legal obligations related to bed bugs. The responsibility lies with you, regardless if you own rental property in one city or several locations across the country. Landlords are responsible for removing a bed bug infestation when tenants complain about it. What’s considered “reasonable” in this situation is the subject of much debate, however. What we’ve learned from the management side is that opinions differ widely on what’s “reasonable” and what’s not. Many tenants and their advocates think they shouldn’t have to do anything except call their landlord to get the problem taken care of, while others are willing to go above and beyond what they’re required to do by law.

Bed Bug Landlord Responsibility

The landlord is responsible for infestation in common areas of the building

As a landlord, you have certain responsibilities regarding bed bugs. These include:

• Responsible for exterminating infestations in common areas of the building.
• Responsible for exterminating and paying for treatment in any unit that is infested.

The landlord might be responsible for isolated infestations

To prove that the landlord is responsible for your infestation, you need to show that:

• The landlord knew about the problem. If you or someone else notified the landlord of a bed bug problem in your unit, then it’s possible this could be considered notice for him or her. However, if you didn’t inform anyone and it was only brought up during an inspection process (i.e., by a pest control company), then probably not so much. Due diligence is required on both ends here!
• The landlord acted with negligence after being notified of the infestation. This means he/she failed to take action against it within a reasonable amount of time given its seriousness and its severity level as well as any other factors involved—and this was done despite having been warned about potential consequences beforehand (such as increased health risks). For example: if there were previous complaints before yours which were not addressed properly until later down stream due various reasons such as budget constraints or lack thereof then maybe yes; maybe no depending on how serious they are overall in terms of impact amongst other things like whether there has been sufficient evidence provided by tenant etcetera…

The tenant is usually responsible for infestation that begins in their unit

The tenant is usually responsible for infestation that begins in their unit. The landlord may inspect the unit if there is a problem, but it is up to the tenant to maintain their own unit. If you find bed bugs in your apartment, you should contact your landlord immediately and let them know that you think they need to be treated by a pest control professional.

The law establishes some situations where landlords are not responsible for removing bedbugs even if they were present before they moved into an apartment or building. In these cases, it would fall on the tenant’s shoulders:

• If infestation results from poor building maintenance (e.g., missing screens on windows)
• If infestation begins in common areas (e.g., hallways)

It depends on where the bugs came from

A landlord is responsible for an infestation that originates in a common area of the building, such as a hallway or laundry room. However, if the source of an infestation is located within an individual unit and not in a common area, it will be up to you and your landlord to determine whose responsibility it is to take care of it.

In either case, when speaking with your landlord about getting rid of bed bugs on your rental property (whether they are responsible or not), make sure you keep notes of all conversations and correspondence regarding the situation so that you have documentation should any legal action become necessary in the future.