North Carolina Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
North Carolina rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No mold-specific statute, but excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contributes to mold is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must repair within a reasonable time after actual knowledge or notice. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(l)
The rules in North Carolina
| Mold | No mold-specific statute, but excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contributes to mold is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must repair within a reasonable time after actual knowledge or notice. The general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable also applies. No mold disclosure or remediation standard. The landlord may recover from the tenant the reasonable cost of repairing imminently dangerous conditions that are the tenant's fault. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | No bed-bug statute. Rat infestation resulting from structural defects that leave the premises not impervious to rodents is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must remedy within a reasonable time; drainage problems contributing to mosquito infestation are also listed. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, avoid unsanitary conditions in common areas, and dispose of garbage properly. Insect infestations not tied to these listed conditions fall under the general fit-and-habitable duty and local housing codes. |
| Heat | Yes. The landlord must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order (after written notice of needed repairs, except emergencies), and lack of operable heating facilities capable of heating living areas to 65°F when it is 20°F outside, from November 1 through March 31, is an imminently dangerous condition requiring prompt repair. Local minimum housing codes may set additional standards. |
| Air conditioning | No state requirement to provide air conditioning or a maximum indoor temperature. Air conditioning supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord must be kept in good and safe working order and promptly repaired after written notice (except emergencies). A 2025 bill to require operable air conditioning in rentals (H 879) was referred to committee and is not law. Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(4) |
| Smoke and CO detectors | The landlord must provide working smoke alarms (UL-listed or equivalent), installed under NFPA standards or the manufacturer's instructions, make sure they work at the start of each tenancy, and put new batteries in battery-operated alarms at move-in; the tenant replaces batteries during the tenancy unless they agree otherwise in writing. New or replacement smoke alarms installed after December 31, 2012, must be tamper-resistant 10-year lithium-battery alarms unless the unit has hardwired alarms with battery backup or a qualifying combination smoke/CO alarm. In units with a fossil-fuel heater, appliance, or fireplace, or an attached garage, the landlord must provide at least one working carbon monoxide alarm per level, with the same move-in battery rule. The landlord must repair or replace smoke or CO alarms within 15 days of the tenant's written notice. A tenant's failure to replace batteries is not negligence on the part of the tenant or the landlord. CO detectors installed before January 1, 2010, are deemed compliant. |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
North Carolina vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | No mold-specific statute, but excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contributes to mold is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must repair within a reasonable time after actual knowledge or notice. The general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable also applies. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(l) | No bed-bug statute. Rat infestation resulting from structural defects that leave the premises not impervious to rodents is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must remedy within a reasonable time; drainage problems contributing to mosquito infestation are also listed. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, avoid unsanitary conditions in common areas, and dispose of garbage properly. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(k)-(l); 42-43(a)(1)-(2) | Yes. The landlord must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order (after written notice of needed repairs, except emergencies), and lack of operable heating facilities capable of heating living areas to 65°F when it is 20°F outside, from November 1 through March 31, is an imminently dangerous condition requiring prompt repair. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(4), (a)(8)(h) |
| Georgia | No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises in repair and, since July 1, 2024, the implied term in every residential lease that the premises are fit for human habitation. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13(a), (b) (as amended by HB 404, 2024) | No statute — Georgia law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general repair duty and the fit-for-habitation requirement; the state handbook advises that leases spell out pest control, including how often it occurs. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 10 | No statewide statute sets a heat requirement, minimum temperature, or heating season. Under the general repair duty, the state handbook says landlords must keep electric, heating, cooling, and plumbing in working order. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 11 |
| South Carolina | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. South Carolina has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and 'make all repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' S.C. Code § 27-40-440(a)(1)-(2) | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable applies; the tenant must keep the unit and the part of the premises the tenant uses reasonably safe and clean and dispose of garbage in a reasonably clean and safe manner. If the written lease conspicuously says so, the landlord may enter without consent between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., after announcing intent, for regularly scheduled termite, insect or pest treatment. S.C. Code §§ 27-40-440(a)(2), 27-40-510(2)-(3), 27-40-530(b)(2) | Yes. The landlord must make available reasonable heat (and running and reasonable hot water) except where the building is not required by law to be equipped for heat or the heat is generated by an installation in the tenant's exclusive control on a direct utility connection, and must keep landlord-supplied heating facilities in reasonably good and safe working order. Heat is an 'essential service.' No statewide minimum temperature or heating season. S.C. Code §§ 27-40-440(a)(4)-(5), 27-40-210(17) |
| Tennessee | No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as when the tenant took possession. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401 | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant law. In URLTA counties, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties; the tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with tenant obligations under housing codes. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401(1)-(3) | No minimum temperature or heating season in state law. In URLTA counties, heat is an 'essential service': if the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant, after written notice, may procure heat and deduct the actual reasonable cost from rent, recover damages for reduced rental value, or obtain substitute housing (rent excused) and recover its reasonable value plus attorney's fees. The remedy is unavailable if the tenant, family or guests caused the condition. T.C.A. § 66-28-502(a), (c); § 66-28-304(a)(1)-(2) |
| Virginia | Yes — detailed statute. Disclosure: the move-in inspection report must state whether there is visible evidence of mold in readily accessible interior areas; a 'no visible mold' statement is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing within 5 days. If mold is disclosed, the tenant may terminate and not take (or keep) possession, or take possession and have the landlord remediate within 5 business days, reinspect and issue a new report. Duty: the landlord must maintain the premises to prevent moisture accumulation and mold growth, respond promptly to tenant notices, and promptly remediate visible mold to professional standards, reinspect, and give the tenant a summary of remediation information. Where mold materially affects health or safety, the landlord may relocate the tenant for up to 30 days to a comparable unit or hotel at no cost to the tenant (rent continues). Tenants must use reasonable efforts to prevent moisture and mold and promptly report it. Va. Code § 55.1-1215; § 55.1-1220(A)(5); § 55.1-1227(A)(10); § 55.1-1231 | The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable and to comply with housing codes applies. The tenant must keep the part of the unit the tenant occupies free from insects and pests and promptly notify the landlord of them, and is financially responsible for added treatment costs caused by unreasonable delay in reporting and for treatment costs caused by the tenant's fault in failing to prevent infestation. The landlord must give at least 48 hours' written notice before applying insecticide or pesticide in a unit (unless the tenant requested it or agrees to less), post notice for common-area applications, and the tenant must prepare the unit per the landlord's written instructions. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(1)-(2); § 55.1-1227(A)(3), (14); § 55.1-1223 | Yes. The landlord must supply heat in season (unless heat is generated by equipment within the tenant's exclusive control or supplied by a direct public utility connection) and keep heating facilities in good and safe working order. Heat is an 'essential service'; if the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant may give written notice and, after a reasonable time to correct, pursue statutory remedies (such as damages for reduced rental value). State law sets no minimum temperature or dates for the heating season; local codes may. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(4), (7); § 55.1-1200 ('essential service'); § 55.1-1239 |
City rules that may add to state law
More North Carolina rental law
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- North Carolina Rental Fee Rules
- North Carolina Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- North Carolina Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
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- Free legal help in North Carolina
Compare mold, pests, heat & ac in all 50 states and DC →
North Carolina Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in North Carolina?
No mold-specific statute, but excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contributes to mold is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must repair within a reasonable time after actual knowledge or notice. The general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable also applies. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(l))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in North Carolina?
No bed-bug statute. Rat infestation resulting from structural defects that leave the premises not impervious to rodents is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must remedy within a reasonable time; drainage problems contributing to mosquito infestation are also listed. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, avoid unsanitary conditions in common areas, and dispose of garbage properly. (N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(k)-(l); 42-43(a)(1)-(2))
Does a landlord have to provide heat in North Carolina?
Yes. The landlord must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order (after written notice of needed repairs, except emergencies), and lack of operable heating facilities capable of heating living areas to 65°F when it is 20°F outside, from November 1 through March 31, is an imminently dangerous condition requiring prompt repair. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(4), (a)(8)(h))
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in North Carolina?
No state requirement to provide air conditioning or a maximum indoor temperature. Air conditioning supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord must be kept in good and safe working order and promptly repaired after written notice (except emergencies). (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(4))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in North Carolina?
The landlord must provide working smoke alarms (UL-listed or equivalent), installed under NFPA standards or the manufacturer's instructions, make sure they work at the start of each tenancy, and put new batteries in battery-operated alarms at move-in; the tenant replaces batteries during the tenancy unless they agree otherwise in writing. New or replacement smoke alarms installed after December 31, 2012, must be tamper-resistant 10-year lithium-battery alarms unless the unit has hardwired alarms with battery backup or a qualifying combination smoke/CO alarm. In units with a fossil-fuel heater, appliance, or fireplace, or an attached garage, the landlord must provide at least one working carbon monoxide alarm per level, with the same move-in battery rule. The landlord must repair or replace smoke or CO alarms within 15 days of the tenant's written notice. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(5), (5a), (7))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.