Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
Short answer: In most states the landlord must deal with infestations that make a unit unfit to live in, especially in multi-unit buildings. Some states have specific bed-bug laws on inspection, treatment and disclosure; a tenant can be responsible if the tenant caused the problem.
Tell the landlord in writing as soon as you see signs of pests, and cooperate with treatment preparations, which many bed-bug laws require.
The rule in every state
Each answer below links to the statute or official page it comes from (51 of 51 jurisdictions verified).
| State | Pests & bed bugs |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No statute specifically on pests or bed bugs. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises habitable and common areas clean and safe. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit and dispose of garbage in a clean and safe manner. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-204(a)(2)-(3), 35-9A-301(2)-(3) |
| Alaska | No statute specifically on pests or bed bugs. Infestations fall under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable and common areas clean and safe. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe and dispose of garbage in a clean and safe manner. AS 34.03.100(a)(1)-(2); AS 34.03.120(a)(1)-(2) |
| Arizona | Arizona has a bed-bug statute. Landlords must give bed-bug educational materials to existing and new tenants and may not rent a unit they know has a current bed-bug infestation. Tenants may not knowingly move infested items into the unit and must notify the landlord in writing or electronically if they know bed bugs are present. Other pests fall under the general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable. A.R.S. § 33-1319; § 33-1324(A)(2) |
| Arkansas | No statute on pests or bed bugs. They are not among Arkansas's implied quality standards, so the lease and local codes govern who treats them. The tenant must keep the unit reasonably clean and safe and dispose of garbage in a reasonably clean and safe manner. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-17-502, 18-17-601(2)-(3) |
| California | The landlord must keep the building, grounds and all areas it controls clean and free of rodents and vermin, and insect, vermin or rodent infestation is a substandard condition. Under the bed-bug law, the landlord may not show or rent a vacant unit it knows has a current bed-bug infestation, must give every new tenant a written bed-bug information notice (all existing tenants since January 1, 2018), and must notify tenants in writing within two business days of a pest control operator's findings for inspected units (and all tenants for confirmed common-area infestations). Tenants must cooperate with inspections. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1941.1(a)(6), 1954.602, 1954.603, 1954.604, 1954.605; Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(12) |
| Colorado | The landlord must provide appropriate extermination for rodent, vermin, pest or insect infestations throughout the premises. Under the bed-bug law, the tenant must promptly notify the landlord in writing or electronically; within 96 hours the landlord must get the unit inspected by a qualified inspector, and inspect contiguous units if bed bugs are found. The landlord must give written results within two business days and start treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment, and may not rent a unit it knows or suspects has bed bugs; on request it must disclose bed bugs in the past eight months and the last clean inspection date. C.R.S. § 38-12-505(1)(b)(VII)-(VIII); §§ 38-12-1001 to 38-12-1007 |
| Connecticut | Connecticut has a detailed bed-bug statute. The tenant must promptly tell the landlord orally or in writing about a known or suspected infestation. Within five business days the landlord must inspect (or have a qualified inspector inspect) the unit and contiguous units it owns, and if bed bugs are found, begin effective treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment; the tenant pays to prepare the unit and must cooperate, and can be liable for extra treatments caused by knowing, unreasonable noncompliance. The landlord may not rent a unit it knows or suspects is infested, must disclose current infestations in the unit or contiguous units before renting, and on request must give the date of the last clean inspection. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7a |
| Delaware | Delaware has a bed-bug statute. Before renting, the landlord must visually inspect the unit for evidence of bed bugs and disclose if adjacent units are infested or being treated. After a report of a known or suspected infestation, the landlord must inspect or get a pest management professional to inspect within 120 hours, start professional remediation within 14 days of notice if bed bugs are found, inspect adjacent units within 5 days, notify affected tenants of the findings, and keep written records. The landlord pays for investigation and remediation if the tenant reports within 60 days of move-in or within 30 days of an infestation being found in an adjoining unit; for later reports the tenant shares reasonable remediation costs for the tenant's unit (except in public housing authority properties). Tenants may not knowingly bring in infested belongings. 25 Del. C. § 5317 |
| District of Columbia | No bed-bug-specific statute. Under the D.C. Housing Code, all rental dwellings must be free of insects and rodents, and structures and exterior property must be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Keeping the premises free of rodents and pests is part of the implied warranty of habitability; maintenance of the unit is a shared responsibility, while common areas are primarily the landlord's responsibility. D.C. Housing Code (14 DCMR) and Property Maintenance Code (12G DCMR), as summarized by the Department of Buildings; D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights § 7 |
| Florida | For units other than a single-family home or duplex, unless otherwise agreed in writing, the landlord must make reasonable provisions for extermination of rats, mice, roaches, ants, wood-destroying organisms, and bedbugs. If the tenant must temporarily vacate for extermination, the landlord must give 7 days' written notice (in person, by mail, or by e-mail under s. 83.505), must abate rent, and the tenant cannot be required to vacate more than 4 days; the landlord is not liable for other damages. For single-family homes and duplexes, pest duties depend on the lease and local codes. Fla. Stat. § 83.51(2)(a)1. |
| Georgia | 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 |
| Hawaii | No statute — Hawaii law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment and has no bed-bug disclosure rule. Infestations are handled under the landlord's habitability and code-compliance duties and the tenant's duty to keep the unit clean and dispose of garbage properly. HRS §§ 521-42(a)(1), (3), (5); 521-51(2), (3) |
| Idaho | No statute — Idaho law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. The Attorney General lists insect infestations as an example of a condition that may violate housing standards and the landlord's duty not to maintain the premises in a manner hazardous to health or safety. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(3); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), pp. 11–12 |
| Illinois | No statute — Illinois has no statewide pest or bed-bug law for private rentals. Infestations are handled under the landlord's duty to keep the unit fit to live in and comply with local health and housing codes. Illinois Attorney General, Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws, p. 1 |
| Indiana | No statute — Indiana does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment and has no bed-bug disclosure rule. Infestations fall under the landlord's safe, clean, and habitable delivery duty and health-code compliance, and the tenant's duties to keep the unit reasonably clean and comply with tenant obligations under health and housing codes. IC 32-31-8-5(1), (2); IC 32-31-7-5(1), (2) |
| Iowa | No statute — Iowa does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Infestations fall under the landlord's fit-and-habitable and code-compliance duties; tenants must keep their unit clean and dispose of garbage and waste in a clean and safe manner. Iowa Code §§ 562A.15(1)(a)(1), (2), (5); 562A.17(2), (3) |
| Kansas | No statute — Kansas does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment and has no bed-bug disclosure rule. Infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance duty; tenants must keep their unit clean and remove garbage and waste in a clean and safe manner, and are responsible for damage they or their guests or animals cause. K.S.A. 58-2553(a)(1), (4); 58-2555(b), (c), (f) |
| Kentucky | No statute — Kentucky does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment and has no bed-bug disclosure rule. In URLTA areas, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties and the tenant's duty to keep the unit clean and dispose of garbage properly. Elsewhere, the lease and local codes govern. KRS 383.595(1)(a), (b); KRS 383.605(2), (3) |
| Louisiana | No statute — no state law specifically assigns pest or bed bug treatment or requires disclosure. Infestations are handled under the lessor's general duties to maintain the property in suitable condition, make necessary repairs, and warrant against vices and defects. The lessee must repair damage caused by their own fault or that of people on the premises with their consent. La. C.C. arts. 2682, 2691, 2692, 2696 |
| Maine | Detailed bed bug statute. The landlord must inspect within 5 days after written or oral notice from a tenant, contact a licensed pest control agent within 10 days after confirming an infestation, and pay for treatment by an insured agent. Before renting, the landlord must disclose if an adjacent unit is infested or being treated, and on request must give the last date the unit or adjacent units were inspected and found free of bed bugs. A landlord may not rent a unit known or suspected to be infested. Tenants must promptly report suspected bed bugs, allow access on reasonable notice, and follow treatment measures. A tenant who unreasonably fails to cooperate pays for the resulting treatments. A noncompliant landlord owes the greater of $250 or actual damages, plus attorney fees. 14 M.R.S. § 6021-A |
| Maryland | No bed-bug-specific statute. A rodent infestation in two or more units is a listed serious defect: if the landlord fails to fix it within a reasonable time after notice (over 30 days is presumed unreasonable), the tenant may use rent escrow. Other infestations that create a health hazard can also qualify. The state Minimum Livability Code, which adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, applies where no substantially similar local code exists. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(3), (d)(5), (g); COMAR 09.12.54.03-.04 |
| Massachusetts | Set by the State Sanitary Code. In buildings with 2 or more units (and rooming houses), the owner must keep the building free from infestation and is responsible for extermination, including bed bugs. In single-unit residences, the occupant is responsible unless the owner failed to maintain the structure to keep pests out. Owners must inspect each unit for pests before a new tenancy and keep documented results. Occupants must keep units sanitary and give access and follow preparation instructions for pesticide treatments. Commercial applicators must give 48 hours' written pre-notification. Failure to keep premises pest-free is a condition deemed to endanger health or safety. 105 CMR 410.550; 410.630(A)(17) |
| Michigan | No statute — no state law specifically assigns pest or bed bug treatment or requires disclosure. Infestations fall under the landlord's statutory covenants of fitness and reasonable repair and the duty to comply with health and safety laws, unless the tenant's willful or irresponsible conduct caused the problem. Local housing codes often set specific extermination duties. MCL 554.139(1) |
| Minnesota | The landlord's statutory duty to keep the premises in reasonable repair expressly includes extermination of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests, including bed bugs. The exception is when the problem was caused by the willful, malicious or irresponsible conduct of the tenant or someone under the tenant's control. A serious infestation is an emergency that can support an expedited emergency tenant remedies action. No bed-bug-specific disclosure statute. Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(2); § 504B.381, subd. 1(2)(i) |
| Mississippi | No statute — no state law assigns pest or bed bug treatment or requires disclosure. Pests are governed by the general duty to comply with health and safety housing codes and maintain the premises, and by the lease. Tenants must keep their part of the premises clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23(1); § 89-8-25(a)-(b) |
| Missouri | No statute — no state law assigns pest or bed bug treatment or requires disclosure. The lease, local housing codes and the case-law implied warranty of habitability govern. Where an infestation violates a local housing code, an eligible tenant may use the repair-and-deduct remedy. RSMo ch. 441 and 535 (checked); RSMo 441.234 |
| Montana | No pest- or bed-bug-specific statute. The landlord must make repairs and do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable and keep common areas clean and safe; the tenant must keep the unit reasonably clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-303(1)(b)-(c), 70-24-321(1)(b)-(c) |
| Nebraska | No pest- or bed-bug-specific statute. The landlord must keep the premises fit and habitable and common areas clean and safe (after notice); the tenant must keep the occupied part of the premises clean and safe and dispose of garbage and waste properly. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1419(1)(b)-(c), 76-1421(2)-(3) |
| Nevada | At the start of the tenancy, the building, grounds, and other areas under the landlord's control must be clean, sanitary, and reasonably free of rodents, insects, and vermin. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. No bed-bug-specific statute. NRS 118A.290(1)(g); NRS 118A.310 |
| New Hampshire | The landlord may not maintain premises infested by insects and rodents without a periodic inspection and eradication program, or infested by bed bugs without a periodic inspection and remediation program (remediation = substantially reducing bed bugs for at least 60 days). The landlord must investigate a tenant's report of insects, bed bugs, or rodents within 7 days and take reasonable measures to remediate. Tenants may not refuse access for emergency pest entry or, on 48 hours' written notice, for a bed-bug check when an adjacent, above, or below unit has bed bugs, and must follow reasonable written preparation instructions given at least 72 hours before treatment. RSA 48-A:14, I and I-a; RSA 540-A:3, IV-a, V-a to V-c |
| New Jersey | In hotels and multiple dwellings (3+ units), the owner must eradicate insects, rats, or other pests when the infestation is in two or more units or in common areas, keep the building ratproof and free of infestation, and have qualified persons perform preventive pest procedures at least once a year (more often if infestation recurs). The state's Truth in Renting guide lists bed-bug information among the items a landlord should provide to tenants. N.J.A.C. 5:10-10.2 |
| New Mexico | No pest- or bed-bug-specific statute. The owner must keep the premises in a safe condition and common areas safe, and provide garbage receptacles and removal; the resident must keep the occupied part of the premises clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. NMSA 1978, §§ 47-8-20(A)(2)-(3), (5); 47-8-22(B)-(C) |
| New York | In multiple dwellings, the owner must keep the building and its lot, yards, and passages clean and free from vermin, dirt, filth, and garbage; tenants are answerable for conditions they cause. Failure to rid an apartment of an insect infestation is an example of a breach of the warranty of habitability. No statewide bed-bug disclosure statute. N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 80; N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 174; N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-b |
| 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) |
| North Dakota | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable and common areas clean and safe applies; the tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit, remove garbage, and not damage the premises. N.D.C.C. §§ 47-16-13.1(1)(b)-(c), 47-16-13.2 |
| Ohio | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific state law. The landlord must keep the premises fit and habitable and common areas safe and sanitary; the tenant must keep the part of the premises the tenant occupies safe and sanitary and dispose of garbage in a clean, safe and sanitary manner. Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.04(A)(2)-(3), 5321.05(A)(1)-(2) |
| Oklahoma | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord must keep the unit fit and habitable and (except single-family residences) keep common areas clean, safe and sanitary; the tenant must keep the occupied part of the premises as safe, clean and sanitary as its condition permits and dispose of garbage in a safe, clean and sanitary manner. 41 O.S. §§ 118(A)(1)-(2), 127(1)-(2) |
| Oregon | No bed-bug-specific statute. At the start of the tenancy the landlord must deliver buildings and grounds free of rodents and vermin, and must keep areas under the landlord's control free of rodents and vermin. The tenant must keep areas under the tenant's control free of rodents and vermin to the extent the tenant caused the problem, and must reasonably cooperate with the landlord's efforts to remedy it. ORS 90.320(1)(f); ORS 90.325(1)(b) |
| Pennsylvania | No statute — no state bed-bug or pest law for rentals. The Attorney General lists rodent infestation as an example of an uninhabitable condition under the implied warranty of habitability; the tenant must notify the landlord and allow a reasonable opportunity to fix it. Implied warranty of habitability (Pugh v. Holmes, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979)); PA AG Consumer Guide, Part IV.C |
| Rhode Island | Under the state Housing Maintenance and Occupancy Code, the occupant of a single-unit dwelling is responsible for extermination of insects, rodents and other pests, and an occupant in a multi-unit building is responsible when only that occupant's unit is infested. The owner is responsible when the infestation is caused by the owner's failure to keep the building rodent-proof or reasonably insect-proof, and whenever two or more units or shared/public areas are infested. No bed-bug-specific statute. R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-24.3-6(i) |
| South Carolina | 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) |
| South Dakota | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit for human habitation applies, except where the condition was caused by the tenant's negligent, willful or malicious conduct. SDCL 43-32-8 |
| Tennessee | 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) |
| Texas | No statute — the Property Code has no pest or bed-bug provision (no disclosure, inspection or treatment rule). An infestation is treated under the general repair duty if it materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant and the tenant gave notice; the landlord has no duty to remedy conditions caused by the tenant, household or guests. Leases commonly allocate pest-control responsibility. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.052 (ch. 92 checked) |
| Utah | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the Fit Premises Act. Infestations fall under the safe-and-sanitary duty and local health-department rules when they materially affect health or safety. The renter must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with local board of health rules. Utah Code 57-22-3; 57-22-4(1); 57-22-5(1) |
| Vermont | Yes, by health code. The owner must keep common spaces free from infestation (pests or bed bugs) and exterminate there, and must exterminate inside a unit when the infestation is caused by the owner's failure to maintain the building or exists in two or more units. Rooming-house owners are responsible for all rooms. The tenant must keep the unit free from infestation and pay for extermination when the infestation is caused by the tenant's failure to maintain the unit (except where the owner is responsible as above). Extermination must remove harborage and food sources and use treatments such as spraying, fumigating, heat treating or trapping. Vermont Rental Housing Health Code §§ 4.7, 4.15, 6.1-6.3 |
| Virginia | 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 |
| Washington | The landlord must provide a reasonable program for the control of insects, rodents and other pests at the start of the tenancy and, except in a single-family residence, must control infestation during the tenancy unless the tenant caused it. No bed-bug-specific statute (no disclosure or inspection rule). The tenant must pay all extermination and fumigation costs for an infestation the tenant caused. RCW 59.18.060(4); 59.18.130(2) |
| West Virginia | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant chapter. Infestations are handled under the fit-and-habitable duty and applicable health and housing codes; the landlord's duty does not extend to conditions caused by the tenant, family members or guests, or to repairs while rent is in arrears. W. Va. Code § 37-6-30 |
| Wisconsin | No bed-bug-specific statute. If the premises are damaged by an infestation of insects or other pests caused by the tenant's acts or inaction, the landlord may let the tenant remediate or may do the work itself and charge the tenant the reasonable cost (materials, labor, and the landlord's time at a reasonable hourly rate). Infestations not caused by the tenant fall under the landlord's general repair and local housing-code duties. Wis. Stat. 704.07(2), (3)(a) |
| Wyoming | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the Residential Rental Property Act or elsewhere for rentals. Infestations fall under the general safe-and-sanitary duty if they materially affect health or safety. The owner need not remedy conditions caused by the renter, the renter's family or guests through misuse, and the renter must keep the unit clean and dispose of garbage properly. W.S. 1-21-1202; 1-21-1203(c); 1-21-1204(a)(i)-(ii) |
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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.