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Housing · Croatia
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. Grad / općina — komunalno redarstvo (udruga-gradova.hr) — 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. Sanitarna inspekcija (Državni inspektorat) / Zavod za javno zdravstvo (dirh.gov.hr) inspects unhealthy housing and can order the landlord to treat. Centar za mirenje HGK (hgk.hr) decides rent reduction if the home is partly unusable.

Call firstGrad / općina — komunalno redarstvo
Report toSanitarna inspekcija (Državni inspektorat) / Zavod za javno zdravstvo
If that failsCentar za mirenje HGK

🗣️ 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: Grad / općina — komunalno redarstvoFor rats outside and for landlords who do nothing; many cities treat rats for free.
  4. Inspection: Sanitarna inspekcija (Državni inspektorat) / Zavod za javno zdravstvoEnvironmental health can declare the home unhealthy and order treatment.
  5. Rent reduction: Centar za mirenje HGKBackdated to the report, proportional to the rooms you cannot use.

📇 All contacts

Grad / općina — komunalno redarstvoNuisances, roads, waste, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles🔗 www.udruga-gradova.hr
Sanitarna inspekcija (Državni inspektorat) / Zavod za javno zdravstvoUnhealthy housing, mould, pests, noiseWhen health is at risk at home🔗 dirh.gov.hr
Centar za mirenje HGKMediation in property disputes, no lawyerWhen the demand did not work🔗 www.hgk.hr/centar-za-mirenje
Savjetovališta za zaštitu potrošačaFree advice, template lettersBefore you write, on deductions and deadlines🔗 www.szp.hr

❓ 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 Sanitarna inspekcija (Državni inspektorat) / Zavod za javno zdravstvo — 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 Croatia”
  • “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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