Rats, cockroaches or bedbugs — who do I report an infestation to?
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. Obecný / mestský úrad (slovensko.sk) — 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. Regionálny úrad verejného zdravotníctva (RÚVZ) (uvzsr.sk) inspects unhealthy housing and can order the landlord to treat. Spotrebiteľské centrum — poradňa (spotrebitelskecentrum.sk) decides rent reduction if the home is partly unusable.
🗣️ 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
- DocumentPhotos, dates, where; bedbug bites and traces on the mattress; rat droppings and holes.
- 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.
- Municipality: Obecný / mestský úradFor rats outside and for landlords who do nothing; many cities treat rats for free.
- Inspection: Regionálny úrad verejného zdravotníctva (RÚVZ)Environmental health can declare the home unhealthy and order treatment.
- Rent reduction: Spotrebiteľské centrum — poradňaBackdated to the report, proportional to the rooms you cannot use.
📇 All contacts
❓ 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 Regionálny úrad verejného zdravotníctva (RÚVZ) — 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
- Obecný / mestský úrad →
- Regionálny úrad verejného zdravotníctva (RÚVZ) →
- Spotrebiteľské centrum — poradňa →
- Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia (SOI) →
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “rats in rental landlord responsibility Slovakia”
- “report pest infestation municipality”
- “bedbugs landlord or tenant pays”
- “cockroaches apartment who to call”
- “rent reduction pests”
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