Bed Bugs in Your Apartment: What to Do, Who Pays and Your Rights

By Jeffrey Grill, Editor | Last reviewed and fact-checked: October 31, 2026

Quick answer: If you find bed bugs in your apartment, don't move out, throw away furniture or start sleeping on the couch. Tell your landlord in writing right away. In most places the landlord hires a pro to inspect your unit and the ones around it, and treatment takes several visits over a few weeks or more. Renters insurance usually won't pay.^1,2,3,4,5

Key Takeaways

They spread next door. In one Purdue high-rise study, about half of the apartments next to an infested unit were infested too.⁶
Many people don't know they have them. In a survey of 2,372 New Jersey apartments, about half of residents with bed bugs were unaware.⁷
Put it in writing. A dated written notice to your landlord is your best protection.^1,8
Neighbors should be checked. Pros should inspect the units beside, above, below and across the hall.³
Expect follow-up visits. Treatment usually takes a first visit plus at least two follow-ups about two weeks apart.⁴
Who pays depends on where you live. Several states make the landlord pay, with exceptions if the tenant caused the problem or won't cooperate. Renters insurance almost never covers it.^9,10,11

Bed bugs in an apartment are a building problem, not just your problem. They walk between units, so getting rid of them means working with your landlord, your neighbors and a pest control company. This guide covers what to do first, how treatment works, how long it takes, who pays, what the law says and whether insurance helps.

In this guide

Can bed bugs spread between apartments?
What to do first
How to prepare for treatment
How apartment treatment works
How long treatment takes
Who pays
Landlord duties and bed bug laws
Can you break your lease?
Does renters insurance cover bed bugs?
Preventing bed bugs in a building
FAQ

Can Bed Bugs Spread Between Apartments?

Yes. There's no fixed percentage, but studies show how fast it can happen:

Next-door units: in a 223-unit Indianapolis high-rise, 45% of apartments became infested within about three and a half years. About half (53%) of the apartments next to an infested unit were infested too.⁶
Hidden infestations: in 2,372 low-income New Jersey apartments, 12.3% had bed bugs, and about half of the residents with bed bugs didn't know it.⁷ In a Jersey City program, residents in 62% of treated units hadn't known.¹²
How they travel: bed bugs can walk from unit to unit. In the Purdue building, traps behind apartment doors caught bugs leaving units and moving down the hall. Infested furniture carried through the building also spread them.^6,13

Spread isn't automatic. In one New Jersey complex, units next to heavily infested apartments stayed clean during the study.¹⁴ But because bugs can move without anyone noticing, a good treatment plan checks the apartments around yours.

Bed Bugs in Your Apartment: What to Do First

Confirm it's a bed bug. Catch one on clear tape or in a sealed bag. Your county extension office can identify it, or call the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378.^15,16 See bed bug identification.
Tell your landlord in writing right away. Call, then follow up in writing and keep a copy.¹ Some states, such as Arizona, require written or electronic notice.⁸ Use our sample letter to your landlord.
Don't move things out or throw furniture away. Moving belongings to another unit can spread bed bugs, and most furniture can be treated.^1,3 Connecticut bars tenants from removing infested belongings until treatment is done or the landlord agrees.⁹
Don't switch beds. Sleeping on the couch or in another room can spread bed bugs to new spots, because they follow you.² An empty apartment can push them toward the neighbors.¹⁷
Don't use bug bombs or spray on your own. Foggers don't reach bed bugs in hiding.^18,2 In the Purdue building, residents' own spraying didn't stop the spread.⁶
Get ready for treatment. Follow the prep sheet from your landlord or pest control company, and let them in for inspections.^19,20

How to Prepare Your Apartment for Bed Bug Treatment

Your pest control company's instructions come first, because prep depends on the treatment. Heat treatments often need less prep than sprays.^4,21 A typical checklist:

Step	What to do
Declutter	Bag loose items. Use plastic bins or bags, not cardboard boxes. Seal anything you throw out in a plastic bag first.
Empty drawers and closets	Bag the contents so the pro can reach inside furniture.
Laundry	Carry clothes and bedding in sealed bags. Wash in hot water and dry on high for 30 minutes.
Keep clean items bagged	Until treatment is finished and the bugs are gone.
Vacuum	Vacuum mattress seams, couches and chairs, then seal the vacuum bag and put it in the outside trash.
Move furniture	Pull beds and furniture away from the walls, as far as your pro asks.
Keep items in place	Don't move things to other rooms or other apartments.
Pets and fish tanks	Take pets out during treatment. Cover fish tanks tightly and turn off the pump.
Kitchen	Put food away and cover counters and tables.

Sources:^{22,23,1,24,25}

Large zip-top storage bags (we earn a small commission) work well for bagging clothes and loose items. If you can't do the prep because of age or disability, ask your landlord for help. Maine and Connecticut require landlords to offer reasonable help, and the cost may be billed back over time.^20,9

How Does Apartment Bed Bug Treatment Work?

Good treatment is a plan, not one spray. Pros use several tools together: inspection, vacuuming, heat or steam, mattress encasements and targeted pesticides.^19,26 In an apartment building, the industry's best practices call for inspecting the units beside, above, below and across the hall from an infested unit.³ Asking neighbors whether they've seen bugs isn't enough, because many don't know.¹⁷

Heat: a pro heats rooms until hiding spots reach temperatures that kill all stages, often in about a day. Heat leaves no lasting protection, so pros often add other steps.^3,17,27
Steam: kills bugs and eggs it reaches in seams and crevices.^3,28
Pesticides: EPA has registered more than 300 products for bed bugs. A licensed pro applies them to cracks and crevices.²⁹
Dusts: pros put silica gel or diatomaceous earth dust inside wall voids and outlets.²⁸
Fumigation: sulfuryl fluoride gas can be used, but it's rare in apartments and leaves no lasting protection.^17,28
Dogs: in a Rutgers study in real apartments, dogs found only 44% of infestations on average, so an alert should be confirmed.^30,3

See how to get rid of bed bugs for more on each method, and how to choose an exterminator.

How Long Does Bed Bug Treatment Take in an Apartment?

Each visit: a first spray-and-inspection visit can take under an hour to several hours, depending on how bad it is.^31,1 A heat treatment usually takes most of a day.^27,17 Plan to be out of the apartment for a few hours.³²
Number of visits: usually a first visit plus at least two follow-ups about two weeks apart.⁴ In a University of Kentucky study of 13 Cincinnati apartments, the 10 that were cleared took 3 treatments on average, ranging from 2 to 5.³³
Start to finish: weeks to months. Heavy infestations take longer.^32,12
When it's over: when follow-up checks with more than one method find no new bugs. New York City suggests one more check about a month after it seems solved.^3,21

Who Pays for Bed Bug Treatment in an Apartment?

Often the landlord, but it depends on your state, your city and your lease. A tenant who brought the bugs in, or who won't prepare or allow treatment, may be charged in some places.^11,34

Landlord pays by law: Connecticut and Colorado put inspection and treatment costs on the landlord, though a tenant who won't cooperate can be charged. New Hampshire makes the landlord pay unless the tenant is responsible.^9,10,35
Public housing: HUD says housing agencies must pay for treatment and can't charge tenants.³⁶
HUD-assisted buildings: HUD says owners can't shift extermination costs to residents unless they show a resident's carelessness or neglect caused the problem.³⁷

Cost item	Typical range
Whole-home treatment	About $1,000 to $4,000 (national average about $2,500)
Per room	About $200 to $400
Inspection	About $75 to $200, and many companies inspect for free

Source:³⁸ 2026 estimates; prices vary by city and method.

For free quotes from local bed bug exterminators, call 1-877-673-2704 (we may be paid when you call).

Landlord Responsibility and Bed Bug Disclosure Laws

Most leases come with an implied promise that the apartment is fit to live in, called the warranty of habitability.^39,40 Some states and cities also have laws written just for bed bugs. As of October 2026:

Where	Key rules
Arizona	Landlord gives tenants bed bug information and can't knowingly rent an infested unit. Tenants must report in writing or electronically.⁸
California	Landlord can't show or rent a vacant unit known to have bed bugs, must give tenants a written bed bug notice and must share a pest pro's inspection results in writing within 2 business days.^41,42,43
Colorado	Landlord must give written inspection results within 2 business days and start treatment within 5 business days. Landlord generally pays.¹⁰
Connecticut	Inspect within 5 business days, including neighboring units, and start treatment within 5 business days. Landlord pays for treatment.⁹
Florida	Except in single-family homes and duplexes, landlords must make reasonable provision to exterminate bed bugs, unless the lease says otherwise in writing.⁴⁴
Maine	Inspect within 5 days of notice and contact a pest control company within 10 days of confirming bed bugs. Can't rent units known or suspected to have them.²⁰
New Hampshire	Landlord must investigate within 7 days and pays reasonable costs unless the tenant is responsible.³⁵
New York State	A landlord who knows of bed bugs must notify units above, below and next door in writing within 72 hours.^45,46
New York City	Landlords must give new tenants the building's one-year bed bug history and file a yearly report. Complaints go to 311.^47,48
Chicago	Landlord must hire a licensed pro and start treatment within 10 days of written notice, and inspect the units on each side, above and below, treating them if needed.⁴⁹

Laws change often, and other states have rules too.^50,51 Check your state's landlord-tenant law, your city code and your lease, or call local legal aid. Several places also bar landlords from punishing tenants for reporting bed bugs in good faith, including California, New York, Maine and Chicago.^52,53,20,49 See bed bug laws for more. This page isn't legal advice.

Can You Break Your Lease Because of Bed Bugs?

Maybe, but there's no general rule, and it's risky to do it on your own. Few bed bug laws say anything about ending a lease. One exception is Chicago, where a tenant facing retaliation can end the lease.⁴⁹ In some states, a tenant may be able to end a lease or withhold rent when a landlord fails to fix serious problems after written notice, but the rules are strict and depend on the facts.^54,55 If you stop paying rent and a court disagrees, you could face eviction.⁵⁵

Before you move out or stop paying, document everything, give written notice and talk to local legal aid or a tenant lawyer. See bed bug lawsuits.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Bed Bugs?

Almost never. Standard renters policies cover your belongings against sudden events such as fire, theft and certain water damage. Insurers treat bed bugs as a gradual pest problem, and many policies exclude insects or infestations.^56,57,58,59

Cost	Usually covered?
Extermination	No
Replacing an infested mattress or belongings	No
Hotel stay during treatment	No. Loss-of-use coverage applies only when a covered event, like a fire, makes the home unlivable.
A guest blaming you for bed bugs	Generally no

Sources:^11,60,5,56

A few policies, often sold through apartment complexes, include a small bed bug benefit. For example, one renters insurer offers up to $300 toward cleanup, but only at its partner properties and only if a licensed pro confirms the bed bugs.⁶¹ Some insurers offer coverage in certain states.¹¹ Ask your insurer in writing what your policy covers before you count on it.

Preventing Bed Bugs in an Apartment Building

Building-wide checks: a Jersey City program that inspected every unit, used traps and treated infested units together cut the share of infested units from 15% to 2.2% in a year.¹²
Interceptor traps: in the Rutgers study, traps under furniture legs found 93% of infestations.³⁰ Try ClimbUp interceptors (we earn a small commission).
Seal gaps: caulk baseboards and outlet covers, and add door sweeps to slow bugs coming in from the hall.²⁵
Encase your bed: a zippered mattress encasement (we earn a small commission) makes bugs easier to spot. See bed bug mattress encasements.
Shared laundry rooms: carry laundry in bags and unload the dryer straight into a clean bag.²⁵
No blame: buildings that encourage early reporting catch problems sooner.¹⁹

See how to prevent bed bugs and bed bug traps.

Bites and signs

Bites alone can't confirm bed bugs. About 30% of people don't react at all, and marks can show up a day or more later.^17,62,63 Bed bugs aren't known to spread disease.⁶² See bed bug bite symptoms and where bed bugs hide.

In Ontario, Canada

Landlords must keep units fit to live in and pay for treatment. They should use licensed pest control, give 24 hours' written notice before entering and explain how to prepare. Tenants must report bed bugs and prepare.^64,65 Contact the Landlord and Tenant Board at 1-888-332-3234 or Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258. In Toronto, call 311.^66,67,68

Need help now? For free quotes from local bed bug exterminators, call 1-877-673-2704 (we may be paid when you call), or ask an exterminator online (we may be paid when you use this link).

What the Research Shows

Neighbors get them: 53% of units next to an infested apartment were infested in a Purdue high-rise.⁶
Hidden problem: 12.3% of 2,372 New Jersey apartments had bed bugs, and about half of those residents didn't know.⁷
Building programs work: a Jersey City program cut infested units from 15% to 2.2% in a year.¹²
Traps beat dogs: in real apartments, dogs found 44% of infestations and interceptor traps found 93%.³⁰
Several visits: cleared apartments needed 3 treatments on average in a University of Kentucky study.³³

Bed Bugs in Apartments: Frequently Asked Questions

Can bed bugs spread between apartments?

Yes. In one study, about half of the apartments next to an infested unit had bed bugs too. They can walk under doors and along hallways.⁶

What should I do if I find bed bugs in my apartment?

Confirm it's a bed bug, tell your landlord in writing right away, don't move things out or switch beds, and prepare for treatment.^1,2

Who pays for bed bug treatment in an apartment?

Often the landlord. Some states put the cost on the landlord unless the tenant caused the problem or won't cooperate. In public housing, HUD says tenants can't be charged. Check your local law.^9,10,36

Does renters insurance cover bed bugs?

Almost never. Standard policies don't pay for extermination, infested belongings or a hotel stay.^5,11

Can I break my lease because of bed bugs?

Possibly, but it depends on your state and the facts. Talk to legal aid or a tenant lawyer before moving out or withholding rent.^54,55

Do landlords have to disclose bed bugs?

In some places. New York City, Maine and Connecticut require some disclosure before you rent, California requires a general bed bug notice, and New York State requires notice to neighboring units.^{47,20,9,42,45}

How do I prepare my apartment for bed bug treatment?

Follow your pro's instructions. Usually that means decluttering, bagging and heat-drying clothes and bedding, vacuuming and pulling furniture from the walls.^22,23

How long does bed bug treatment take in an apartment?

Usually several visits about two weeks apart, over weeks to months.^4,32

Should I sleep somewhere else?

No. Moving to the couch or another room can spread bed bugs to new places.^2,17

Will my neighbors' apartments be treated?

They should be inspected. Pros recommend checking units beside, above, below and across the hall, and New York State requires landlords to notify the units above, below and next door.^3,45

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Bed Bugs in Your Apartment: What to Do Next