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Housing · the UK
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. Your local council (gov.uk) — 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. Council Environmental Health / Housing Standards (gov.uk) inspects unhealthy housing and can order the landlord to treat. Tenancy deposit scheme (DPS, mydeposits, TDS) (gov.uk) decides rent reduction if the home is partly unusable.

Call firstYour local council
Report toCouncil Environmental Health / Housing Standards
If that failsTenancy deposit scheme (DPS, mydeposits, TDS)

🗣️ 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: Your local councilFor rats outside and for landlords who do nothing; many cities treat rats for free.
  4. Inspection: Council Environmental Health / Housing StandardsEnvironmental health can declare the home unhealthy and order treatment.
  5. Rent reduction: Tenancy deposit scheme (DPS, mydeposits, TDS)Backdated to the report, proportional to the rooms you cannot use.

📇 All contacts

Your local councilNoise, waste, roads, housing standards, licensing, lost propertyFor anything the council handles🔗 www.gov.uk/find-local-council
Council Environmental Health / Housing StandardsUnfit housing, damp and mould, pests, noise, food hygieneWhen health is at risk at home🔗 www.gov.uk/report-problem-to-council
Tenancy deposit scheme (DPS, mydeposits, TDS)Free dispute resolution for protected depositsWhen the landlord will not agree the return🔗 www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection
ShelterFree housing adviceBefore you write, and if the deposit was never protected📞 0808 800 4444🔗 www.shelter.org.uk

❓ 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 Council Environmental Health / Housing Standards — 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 the UK”
  • “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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