Pests like cockroaches and bedbugs can be the landlord's responsibility, especially where they get in through disrepair. Here is who must deal with them and what to do.
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Direct answer
Whether the landlord must deal with cockroaches or bedbugs depends on the cause. If pests are getting in through disrepair, gaps in the structure, broken drains, holes around pipes, or a shared infestation in a block, that is usually the landlord's responsibility. Most council and housing-association tenancies also include pest control as part of the service. Report it in writing straight away. If your landlord has left a pest problem linked to the building's condition, you may have a claim, call us free on 0800 030 4669.
When it is the landlord's responsibility
- Cockroaches often spread through a building via shared walls, drains, and pipework. In a block of flats, that points to a building-level problem the landlord should treat across the affected homes, not just yours.
- Pests getting in through disrepair (cracks, broken air bricks, gaps around pipes, damaged drains) fall under the landlord's repair duty in Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, they must fix the entry point, not just lay bait.
- A serious infestation that makes the home unfit can also breach the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
Bedbugs: it can be more mixed
Bedbugs are often brought in on furniture, luggage, or second-hand items, so the cause is not always the building. But where bedbugs spread between flats in a block, or the landlord supplied infested furniture, the landlord may still be responsible. Report it either way and keep evidence.
What to do
- Report it in writing immediately, with dated photos and where you have seen the pests.
- Ask the landlord to find and fix the cause, treatment without sealing the entry point will not last.
- Contact your council's environmental health team. They can inspect and serve a notice on the landlord for free. A serious pest problem can also be tackled as a "statutory nuisance" under Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, see our EPA Section 82 guide.
- Keep receipts for anything you have had to buy or replace.
Where we fit in
Support for Tenants helps with housing disrepair claims. Where a pest problem is tied to the building's condition and the landlord has ignored it, you may have a claim. Call us free on 0800 030 4669, send the short form, or message us on WhatsApp. See also tenants' rights for rat infestations and where to get other housing help.
Sources
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 82 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 24 May 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only and not guaranteed; every case is different.
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