A pest infestation is frightening, unhygienic and often a sign of underlying disrepair — holes in walls, broken drains, gaps around pipes or rotten doors. When your landlord fails to deal with both the pests and the cause, you can make a housing disrepair claim.
Your landlord is responsible for pests where they result from a defect in the property — holes in the structure, broken drains, damaged doors or windows, or infestations in communal areas. Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 they must repair these defects, and under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 a home with a serious infestation may be unfit to live in.
Councils also have powers under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), which treats pests as a specific hazard. Treatment alone isn't enough — the entry points must be sealed and the cause removed.
Use the 60-second checker or call us. We confirm eligibility within 24 hours.
Photos, reports to your landlord and an independent survey build your case.
Our solicitors put your landlord on formal notice to repair and compensate.
Work completed and compensation agreed — usually without court.
If pests are entering through defects — holes, gaps, broken drains, damaged doors — or the infestation started in communal areas, yes. The landlord must both treat the infestation and repair the defects letting them in.
Landlords often blame tenants for hygiene. An independent survey will identify entry points and structural causes, which are the landlord's responsibility.
Yes, where bedbugs were present when you moved in, came from adjoining properties or communal areas, or the landlord failed to treat them properly after being told.
Photos and videos of pests, droppings and damage; pest control reports; your reports to the landlord; and a record of dates. Our surveyor will document everything for the claim.
Complete our 60-second checker or call us. No pressure, no obligation — just clear answers.
