Bed Bugs and the Renters’ Rights Act

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has no rules written specifically for bed bugs, and it doesn’t make landlords automatically responsible for them. In England, who deals with an infestation still depends on existing housing law, the tenancy agreement and how it started. What has changed is the system around it: stronger tenant protections and tougher council enforcement.

Reviewed by James Rhoades, Owner, ThermoPest · Last reviewed 15 October 2026

The Act is being brought in over several years, so it’s easy to mix up what applies today with what’s still planned. This guide covers private renting in England only. It sets out what is in force on 15 October 2026, what’s still to come, who is usually responsible for bed bugs, and how landlords and tenants can handle a report fairly.

Does the Renters’ Rights Act cover bed bugs?

Not directly. None of the Act’s headings on legislation.gov.uk mention pests, and the government’s implementation roadmap doesn’t either. Bed bugs are dealt with under older housing law, mainly the Housing Act 2004 and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which the Act builds on.

Where the Act matters is in the background. Tenants can no longer be evicted using the “no fault” section 21 process, so reporting a problem carries less risk than it used to. Councils also have stronger powers to investigate and penalise landlords who don’t deal with serious hazards.

What’s in force now, and what’s still to come?

This is the position on 15 October 2026, based on GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk.

Awaab’s Law: Social Housing Now, Private Renting Later

Awaab’s Law currently applies to social landlords, and pests come into its scope for them from 30 November 2026 (see our guide to Awaab’s Law and pests). Section 60 of the Renters’ Rights Act will extend it to private tenancies, but legislation.gov.uk lists that section as prospective, meaning not yet in force. The government’s consultation asks how it should work for private landlords, and no start date has been set. Until regulations are made, private landlords aren’t bound by Awaab’s Law timescales.

The Decent Homes Standard: 2035

The government’s January 2026 response says the reformed standard “will apply from 2035 in both the social and private rented sectors”. It will require homes to be free of category 1 hazards. It isn’t a legal requirement for private landlords yet.

Are bed bugs a landlord’s responsibility in the UK?

In England, often, but not always. The law that applies today:

• Fitness for human habitation. Under section 10 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, whether a home in England is unfit to live in takes account of “any prescribed hazard”, meaning the hazards in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
• Pests are an HHSRS hazard. Since 23 June 2026, the HHSRS regulations list “exposure to pests” under the domestic hygiene hazard (Schedule 1, paragraph 14A).
• Councils must act on serious hazards. If a council considers a category 1 hazard exists, it “must take the appropriate enforcement action” (Housing Act 2004, section 5).

In practical terms, Shelter says your landlord should sort out pests that were there when you moved in, deal with infestations caused by repairs they’re responsible for, and keep the home fit to live in. Citizens Advice adds that your tenancy agreement matters, and that a landlord is usually only responsible once they know about the problem.

When can a tenant be responsible?

Citizens Advice says a tenant might be responsible if the infestation “was caused by something that you did or failed to do”. Shelter puts it more narrowly: you could be responsible “only if you do something to encourage pests”.

With bed bugs, cause is hard to prove. They arrive in luggage, bags, second-hand furniture and visitors’ belongings, or crawl in from a neighbouring flat. A clean, tidy home can get them. So the start date of the tenancy, check-in records and what an inspection finds tend to matter more than assumptions.

What about flats and shared buildings?

Bed bugs can move between flats through gaps around pipes, cables and skirting boards (see can bed bugs come from neighbours?). Shelter notes that your landlord doesn’t usually have to deal with pests in neighbouring properties, but a landlord who owns the whole building may be responsible for shared areas. Where several flats are affected, landlords, managing agents and the pest controller need to work together, or a treated flat can be reinfested.

How should a landlord handle a bed bug complaint from a tenant?

A calm, prompt, written response protects everyone. This is the practical approach we’d suggest.

1. Respond Quickly and in Writing

Acknowledge the report the same day if you can, by email or letter. Thank the tenant for telling you, say what happens next, and ask for any photos of bugs, bites or marks on the bedding. Bed bugs spread through a home and into neighbouring flats if left, so a fast response usually costs less.

2. Arrange a Professional Inspection

Bed bugs are small and hide in seams, joints and cracks, so it’s easy to miss a light infestation or mistake another insect for one. Book an inspection by a pest controller who is a member of a trade body such as the BPCA or NPTA.

• Ask for the bedroom, sofa and any rooms the tenant has moved into to be checked.
• In flats and HMOs, ask for neighbouring flats to be inspected too. We ask to inspect neighbouring flats as standard when we treat a flat, because treating one unit alone often fails.
• Ask for a written report with dated photographs of what was found and where.

3. Keep Written Records

Records are your evidence if there’s a dispute, a council inspection or a claim later on. Keep:

• the date and wording of the tenant’s report;
• your replies and the dates you sent them;
• the inspection report and photos, including neighbouring flats;
• treatment dates, preparation instructions given, and any follow-up visits;
• check-in inventories and any pest inspections between tenancies.

4. Don’t Blame the Tenant Without Evidence

It’s tempting to assume the tenant brought bed bugs in, but bed bugs aren’t a sign of a dirty home and they often come from elsewhere in the building. Arrange the inspection and treatment first. If there’s real evidence about the cause, discuss costs afterwards, calmly and in writing. Refusing to act while you argue about blame lets the infestation grow and can bring in the council.

5. Agree Treatment and Preparation

Professional treatment works best when the tenant knows what to do before and after each visit. Give them the preparation guide in writing and agree access dates. Be clear that more than one visit may be needed, and that follow-up checks are normal.

6. Keep Talking Until It’s Resolved

Give the tenant regular updates. If you can’t agree on costs or responsibility, mediation or the council’s private housing team can help before it becomes a formal claim. Our guide to bed bug compensation claims explains how the small claims process works if it gets that far.

If you let property in London, our pest control for landlords covers inspections with written photo reports, treatment that’s heat-led with targeted spray where it’s needed, and checks of neighbouring flats. Our vans are unmarked.

What should a tenant do if they find bed bugs?

• Tell your landlord straight away, ideally in writing. Shelter suggests including any repairs needed, effects on your health and damage to your belongings. Dated photos help too.
• Keep paying rent. Shelter advises against stopping rent; if you pay for pest control yourself, try to agree a rent reduction rather than deducting it.
• Don’t move bedding or furniture to other rooms, and avoid foggers or bug bombs, which tend to scatter bed bugs.
• Contact the council if nothing happens. Its environmental health or private housing team can inspect under the HHSRS.

If your landlord isn’t acting, see what to do if your landlord won’t treat bed bugs. For an overview of the law across homes, hotels and workplaces, read bed bugs and UK law. Selling rather than letting? See selling a house with bed bugs.

Does this apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

No. The Renters’ Rights Act changes described here apply to England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rental laws and standards, so check the official guidance for your nation: Renting Homes on gov.wales, repairs and maintenance on mygov.scot, or repairs for private tenants on nidirect.

This is general information, not legal advice. Checked: October 2026.

FAQs

Does the Renters’ Rights Act make landlords responsible for bed bugs?

Not automatically. The Act has no bed bug rule. In England, responsibility depends on existing law, the tenancy agreement and the evidence about how the infestation started. Landlords must keep homes fit to live in, and councils can act where pests create a serious hazard.

Are bed bugs the landlord’s or the tenant’s responsibility?

Usually the landlord’s if they were there when the tenancy began, and the landlord may also be responsible if the infestation makes the home unsafe or unfit to live in. A tenant may be responsible if they caused the problem, but that’s hard to show with bed bugs, so an inspection report and dated records matter.

Does Awaab’s Law apply to private landlords yet?

No. On 15 October 2026 it applies to social landlords only. The government is consulting on extending it to private tenancies from 9 October to 18 December 2026, and no start date has been set.

Can I report bed bugs to the council?

Yes. If your landlord doesn’t act, you can ask your council’s environmental health or private housing team to inspect. Pests are a hazard under the HHSRS, and councils must take enforcement action on category 1 hazards.