Bed Bugs and Pest Control in California Rentals

Every prospective tenant must receive a written notice about bed bugs before signing. It has to describe how bed bugs behave, what the signs of an infestation look like, and how the tenant should report a suspected problem. The statute contains specific language for this notice.

A landlord may not show, rent, or lease a unit the landlord knows has a current bed bug infestation. After an inspection, the landlord must notify the tenants of any unit that was inspected within two business days of receiving the pest control operator's findings.

Because vermin-free premises are part of the §1941.1 habitability standard, treating an infestation is the landlord's responsibility. Charging the treatment back to the tenant is generally not defensible unless the landlord can actually prove the tenant caused it — a high bar that is rarely met in practice.

Effective treatment normally requires access to adjoining units, and tenants are obligated to cooperate with inspection and treatment. Refusing reasonable access is a lease breach.

Where a landlord applies pesticide to a unit without a licensed pest control operator, written notice must go to the affected tenant at least 24 hours in advance, identifying the pest, the product, its active ingredients, and the intended application dates. For common areas, notice goes to all tenants whose units are adjacent.