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Housing · Iceland
Updated September 2026

🐀 Rats, cockroaches or bedbugs — who do I report an infestation to?

Direct answer

In a rental the landlord deals with pests that come from the building — rats, cockroaches, mice — unless you demonstrably caused them; bedbugs are argued about everywhere, but the landlord still has to act. Report in writing. Sveitarfélagið — þjónustuver (samband.is) — the municipality — has a pest-control service or a duty to act on public-health grounds and handles rats in the street or in bins. Heilbrigðiseftirlit sveitarfélaga (samband.is) inspects unhealthy housing and can order the landlord to treat. Kærunefnd húsamála (stjornarradid.is) decides rent reduction if the home is partly unusable.

Call firstSveitarfélagið — þjónustuver
Report toHeilbrigðiseftirlit sveitarfélaga
If that failsKærunefnd húsamála

🗣️ What to say

"Since [date] there are [rats / cockroaches / bedbugs] at [address], photos attached. Please arrange professional pest control by [deadline] and find the source. Until the home is pest-free I reduce the rent by [%]."

🪜 Step by step

  1. DocumentPhotos, dates, where; bedbug bites and traces on the mattress; rat droppings and holes.
  2. Report to the landlord in writingWith a deadline. Ask for a professional company and for the source (drains, waste room, neighbour) to be dealt with.
  3. Municipality: Sveitarfélagið — þjónustuverFor rats outside and for landlords who do nothing; many cities treat rats for free.
  4. Inspection: Heilbrigðiseftirlit sveitarfélagaEnvironmental health can declare the home unhealthy and order treatment.
  5. Rent reduction: Kærunefnd húsamálaBackdated to the report, proportional to the rooms you cannot use.

📇 All contacts

Sveitarfélagið — þjónustuverNuisances, streets, waste, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles🔗 www.samband.is
Heilbrigðiseftirlit sveitarfélagaUnhealthy housing, mould, pests, noiseWhen health is at risk at home🔗 www.samband.is/verkefni/umhverfismal/heilbrigdiseftirlit
Kærunefnd húsamálaRules on tenancy disputes, free, no lawyerWhen the demand did not work🔗 www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/husnaedismal/kaerunefnd-husamala
Leigjendasamtökin / HMS leigjendaaðstoðAdvice for tenants, template lettersBefore you write, on deductions and deadlines📞 440 6400🔗 hms.is/husnaedi/leiga

❓ Frequently asked

Bedbugs: who pays?

Practice varies. Most tenancy bodies make the landlord treat and only charge the tenant if the tenant clearly brought them in — which is very hard to prove.

The whole building is infested

Then it is the building's problem and the landlord must treat all flats at once; single-flat treatment fails. Tell Heilbrigðiseftirlit sveitarfélaga — they can order a building-wide programme.

Can I break the lease?

If the home is unfit and the landlord will not act, an inspection report supports termination without notice in most countries.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “rats in rental landlord responsibility Iceland”
  • “report pest infestation municipality”
  • “bedbugs landlord or tenant pays”
  • “cockroaches apartment who to call”
  • “rent reduction pests”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

🦠Mould or damp→🔧Landlord won't repair→🔑Deposit not returned→🔊Noisy neighbours→

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