Your tenant has just called about mice in the kitchen and they want it sorted by the weekend. You don’t live nearby, you have never used a pest control company in this borough, and you would rather not spend the next two hours phoning round trying to find someone who will attend on a Saturday.
We are a BPCA-accredited firm dealing with infestations across the capital and one of the recognised pest control solutions for landlords and letting agents across all 32 London boroughs and the Home Counties. We arrange treatment with your tenant directly, attend the property, undertake the work, and send you a written report you can keep on the tenancy file. If you need pest control in London for landlords, we have done it before in your borough.
Call us on 020 7046 0255 or send an enquiry through our contact form. The first survey is no-obligation, the quote is fixed before any work starts, and we will tell you straight away whether the issue is one a landlord usually pays for or one that falls back on the tenant.
Why Pest Problems Are a Bigger Deal for Landlords
For an owner-occupier, a mouse in the kitchen is annoying. For a landlord, the same mouse can become an expensive complication very quickly. Your tenant has a right to a habitable property, your letting agent has a service-level expectation to maintain, and councils have powers to step in if you do not respond to a complaint within a reasonable timeframe. The longer the problem sits, the more it costs.
The legal background is set by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, which require rented housing to be safe to live in throughout the tenancy. The housing health and safety rating system, known as HHSRS, is the framework councils use to assess hazards in rented properties. A serious rat or insect infestation can be classified as a Category 1 hazard, which obliges the landlord to act. The 2025-26 push around Awaab’s Law in social housing has tightened expectations further, and while the statutory time limits are aimed at social landlords, the cultural shift is being felt across private renting too.
On top of the legal duty, there is the practical cost. A pest problem the tenant reports on Monday and that drags into the following month is one of the fastest routes to a void mid-tenancy, an unhappy review, or a withheld rent dispute. Acting quickly is almost always cheaper than waiting.
Are Landlords Responsible for Pest Control?
In most cases, yes. Where the issue is structural, pre-existing, or affects communal areas, the landlord is the one who must arrange pest control. Where the tenant caused the infestation or contributed to it through behaviour, responsibility usually shifts back to them. The detail matters and the line is not always obvious from the outside, which is why a survey by a qualified pest control technician is often the first step.
When the landlord is responsible for pest control
Most pest infestations in rented housing trace back to the property itself rather than the tenant’s behaviour. Common scenarios where the landlord is liable include:
- Cracks in external walls, broken pipework, or damaged drainage that lets rats or mice into the building
- Missing roof tiles or gaps around the eaves that give squirrels, birds, or rodents access to the loft
- Air bricks that have failed or lost their mesh covers, leaving an open route into wall voids
- Pre-existing pest activity that was present before the tenant moved in
- Communal pest issues in HMOs, mansion blocks, or converted flats where the source is in shared space
- Bed bugs that survived from a previous tenancy because the property was not professionally treated between lets
If any of these apply, the landlord arranges pest control and pays for it. Property maintenance and pest control are connected: sealing the entry points is part of the same job.
When the tenant is responsible for pest control
Tenants pick up the bill where their own behaviour caused the problem. The most common examples are:
- Poor waste management that gives rats and mice constant access to food and bins that attract them inside
- Bringing pests in from outside, for example bedbug activity carried in via luggage or second-hand furniture
- Fleas tied to a pet kept in the property without informing the landlord
- Damage to entry points caused by the tenant (for example removing an air brick mesh)
In practice, the answer is rarely clear-cut. We will tell you what we have found at the survey, and if the cause looks like something the tenant should pay for, we put that in the written report so you have evidence for the conversation that follows.
How long do you have to act?
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 obliges landlords to act within a reasonable timeframe once they are aware of a hazard. What counts as reasonable depends on severity. A rat infestation in the kitchen, where there is access to food and a clear health risk, would be expected to be dealt with within days. A small ant problem in a single room would have more leeway. The local council’s environmental health team can serve enforcement notices on landlords who do not respond, and the cost of any work the council ends up arranging is recoverable from the landlord.
Awaab’s Law has set a precedent that statutory deadlines are coming, with social housing required to act on certain hazards within fixed periods from 2025 onwards. The private sector is following the same direction of travel.
What the local council can do
If a tenant reports the problem to the council before they raise it with you, the local council can inspect the property and serve formal notice on the landlord. The notice usually gives a fixed period to remedy the hazard. Failure to comply at that stage triggers council-arranged work at the landlord’s cost, civil penalties (up to £30,000 for serious breaches), and in some cases a banning order. Most landlords never get close to that point, but the framework explains why dealing with infestations quickly is the cheaper option even on small jobs.
Common Pest Infestations in London Rental Housing
Around 80% of landlord callouts we attend are for rodents, with bed bugs and cockroaches making up most of the remainder. The species and the property type usually point to the entry route, which determines how the job is treated and proofed.
Rats and mice
Rodents are by a long way the most common pest problem in London rental properties. The capital has one of the worst urban rat issues in Europe, mostly because the drainage network is old and the supply of food waste on the streets is constant. Older terraced houses, converted flats, and basement properties are particularly vulnerable because the original pipework, cracks in the brickwork, and weathered air bricks all give rats and mice an easy way in. Our rat control and mice control work always starts with a survey to find the entry points, followed by baiting where it is needed, then proofing once the population is down. We also run rodent control contracts for landlords with multiple properties who want regular preventative inspections rather than reactive callouts.
Mice are the more common of the two in flats. They breed faster than rats and a small mouse problem can double in size in a few months if it is not dealt with. Rats are more often a ground-floor or basement issue, and they tend to come up from the drains.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs have become much more common in London rental housing over the past few years. They travel through clothing, luggage, and second-hand furniture, which makes high-turnover tenancies, student housing, and short-let properties particularly exposed. We treat bed bugs with heat treatment and targeted insecticide. Where the property is part of a converted block of flats and there is evidence of activity in adjoining rooms, we will recommend inspecting the neighbouring units too, because bed bugs spread between connected spaces. For landlords, the practical issue is that an untreated infestation between tenancies is almost always still active when the next tenant moves in. We can attend during the void period and clear the property before the next let starts.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are a serious problem in older mansion blocks and former local-authority estates across London, where shared service ducts and heating risers let German cockroaches move between flats. The treatment plan usually involves gel baiting and insect growth regulators, and where the infestation has spread we need access to neighbouring flats or coordination with the building’s managing agent. For landlords with property in the worst-affected boroughs, ongoing monitoring is often more cost-effective than reactive treatment.
Fleas, ants, and other insects
Fleas often turn up after a tenancy ends, particularly where a pet was kept in the property and the carpets were not professionally treated as part of the move-out. The eggs survive for weeks, hatch when a new tenant moves in, and what should have been a clean handover becomes an emergency callout. We handle flea treatments, pharaoh ants in heating ducts, carpet and clothes moths, fruit flies, and other crawling and flying insects. Most insect infestations in rental properties resolve in one or two visits, treated safely with products that are fine for children and pets once they have dried.
Squirrels and birds
Grey squirrels in the loft are a common issue in London streets with mature trees and older roofs. They get in through missing tiles or rotten fascia boards, chew through wiring, and tear up loft insulation for nesting. Squirrel control is a specialist job because of the licensing rules around grey squirrels in the UK. Pigeons and other pest birds cause similar problems with roofs and gutters and are a public health concern in any property where droppings build up on terraces, balconies, or rooftop plant rooms. Our bird control work covers netting, spikes, wire systems, and bird-free gel installations.
Our Pest Control Service for London Landlords and Letting Agents
The service is set up to make the landlord’s side of a tenant pest problem as light as possible. We have built our pest solutions around what landlords actually need: a single point of contact, a fixed price before any pest control treatment starts, and a clean paper trail at the end. Most jobs run end-to-end without you needing to do more than approve the quote and pass on the tenant’s contact details.
Same-day callouts and emergency response
For urgent pest problems we offer same-day callouts across most of Greater London if you call before midday on a weekday. We also run a 24/7 emergency line for evenings and weekends. The most common urgent jobs from landlords are rats found inside food premises, wasp nests near children, and bed bugs reported the night before guests or new tenants arrive.
We deal directly with your tenants
We deal directly with the tenant once you give us their contact details. Our office books an appointment that suits them, the technician attends, and we send regular updates to you so you know where the job is. Most landlords find this saves several hours of back-and-forth across the typical job. It also means the tenant gets a single point of contact and feels the problem is being taken seriously, which usually helps the wider tenancy relationship.
Written reports for your records
Every job comes with a written report that sets out what was found, what was treated, what was sealed, and what the cause appears to be. The reports are written to fit the housing health and safety rating system categories, which means they are a useful record if you ever need to show a council, an insurer, or a deposit dispute service that the property was actively maintained. Letting agents in particular use the reports to keep the property file in order between tenancies.
Property pest-proofing
A treatment that does not also seal the entry route is a treatment you will pay for again. Pest-proofing covers external pipework, air bricks, gaps around utility pipe entries, missing roof tiles, cracks in pointing, and any other route the survey identifies. We carry out the proofing work as part of the same visit where we can, or scope it as a follow-up where it needs more material than a technician carries on a callout.
Preventative inspection programmes for portfolios
For landlords with multiple London properties, a preventative inspection programme works out cheaper than reactive callouts in most cases. We attend each property on a fixed schedule (typically annually or bi-annually), check for early signs of pest activity, identify any new entry points, and document everything for the compliance file. Block managers, build-to-rent operators, and letting agencies with portfolios of fifty or more units use this kind of arrangement to keep callout volumes predictable.
How It Works
The standard job runs through five steps:
- Report the problem. Call us with the property address and the tenant’s contact details, or send the same through the contact form. We will ask a few short questions about the suspected pest, the property type, and any access constraints.
- We arrange the appointment. Our office contacts the tenant directly and books a survey at a time that works for them. You get an email confirming the appointment and the technician details.
- Survey and fixed quote. The technician attends the property, identifies the pest, locates the likely entry points, and provides a fixed quote. There is no obligation to proceed at this stage.
- Treatment and proofing. Once you approve the quote, we carry out the treatment and seal the relevant entry routes. Most domestic jobs are done in a single visit; bed bug and cockroach jobs typically need two or three.
- Written report. You receive a written report covering what was found, what was done, the products used, and any preventative recommendations. This goes on your tenancy file.
Who We Work With
Most of the landlord work we do across London falls into one of these categories:
- Single private landlords with one or two properties, usually managing the tenancy themselves
- Portfolio landlords with anywhere from five to fifty properties across the capital
- Lettings agents who use us as a default supplier so they can quote turnaround times to their landlord clients with confidence
- Block management and managing agents handling shared cockroach, mouse, or bed bug issues across multiple flats
- HMO operators where the regulatory bar on hazards is higher and HHSRS-aligned reports matter
- Build-to-rent and student housing operators needing scheduled preventative cover across hundreds of units
Areas We Cover Across London and the Home Counties
We cover all 32 London boroughs and the City of London, with technicians spread across the capital. North London (Enfield, Camden, Islington, Haringey), east London (Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest), south London (Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham), and west London (Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Brent) are all covered the same. We also work in Edgware, Barnet, Bromley, and the surrounding areas, and across the Home Counties: Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Essex, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire.
Most of inner London is reachable inside two hours for an emergency callout. Outer boroughs and Home Counties properties take a little longer depending on traffic and the borough. We will give you an honest estimate when you call, rather than a window we cannot hit.
Trusted by London Landlords and Letting Agents
We are members of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), which is the UK’s recognised standards body for professional pest control. Every one of our pest controllers holds RSPH Level 2 qualifications or higher, and we follow the current CRRU rules on rodenticide use. We are also Think Wildlife accredited, ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 certified, CHAS accredited, Safe Contractor approved, and CEPA members. Insurers, environmental health teams, and procurement teams at letting agencies actually check these accreditations before approving a supplier. They also matter if a job ever ends up in dispute, because a written report from an accredited firm carries more weight than one from a sole trader without external oversight.
You can also read customer reviews from London landlords and letting agents we have worked with on our testimonials page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the landlord pay for pest control in the UK?
In most cases, yes. Where the pest infestation is structural, pre-existing, or in a communal area, the landlord pays for pest control. Where the tenant’s own behaviour caused the problem (poor waste management, bringing in bed bugs, untreated pet fleas), responsibility usually shifts to the tenant. We provide a written report after every job that sets out what we found, which makes the cost conversation with the tenant easier where it applies.
How long does a landlord have to fix a rodent problem in the UK?
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires landlords to act within a reasonable timeframe once they are aware of the issue. For a serious rat infestation in a kitchen, that usually means days rather than weeks. The local council can serve an enforcement notice on landlords who do not respond, and the cost of any council-arranged work is recoverable from the landlord. Awaab’s Law is bringing statutory deadlines into the social housing sector, and the same pressure is being felt in private renting.
What is the hardest pest to get rid of?
Bed bugs and German cockroaches are usually the hardest pests to clear. Bed bugs are resilient, hide in tiny gaps, and travel between rooms and flats. Cockroaches in mansion blocks spread between units through service ducts. Both pests usually need two or three professional visits and proper preparation by the tenant before each treatment. Rats and mice are easier to clear but easier to come back if the proofing is not done thoroughly.
Can a tenant sleep in their bed after fumigation?
It depends on what was treated and with what. After a heat treatment for bed bugs the tenant can usually re-enter the room within a few hours and sleep there the same night. After a chemical treatment we usually advise leaving the room for four to six hours and avoiding the mattress until the product has fully dried. The technician will give the tenant specific guidance for their treatment before they leave, and we copy you on the same advice so there are no surprises.
What if my tenant will not allow access for treatment?
Tenants generally have to allow access for repairs and maintenance, including pest control, with reasonable notice. If a tenant repeatedly refuses access for a treatment that you, as the landlord, are arranging in good faith to address an HHSRS hazard, that needs to be documented in writing. Citizens Advice and Shelter both have clear guidance for the formal escalation route, and the council’s environmental health team can intervene if the issue is serious. We can attend at flexible times, including evenings and weekends, which often resolves the access problem on its own.
Can the council force a landlord to deal with pests?
Yes. If a tenant reports a pest problem to the council and the council finds the property is not safe to live in, the environmental health team can serve an improvement notice or a hazard awareness notice on the landlord. If the landlord does not act, the council can carry out the work itself and recover the cost. In serious cases of repeated non-compliance, councils can issue civil penalties of up to £30,000.
How much does pest control cost for landlords?
It depends on the type of pest, the size of the property, and the extent of the infestation. A single mouse treatment in a one-bedroom flat sits at the lower end. A multi-flat cockroach or bed bug job in a converted block runs higher. We do not quote blind on a phone call, because both over-quoting and under-quoting end up unfair on the customer. Call us and we will arrange a survey, then quote a fixed price before any work starts. For portfolio landlords, we offer scheduled preventative contracts that work out cheaper per visit than reactive callouts.
Get Your Free Landlord Survey
Call us on 020 7046 0255 for a free survey across London and the Home Counties, or send the property details through our contact form. We will arrange the appointment with your tenant, attend the property, identify the pest, and quote a fixed price before any work starts. The survey is no-obligation and the price we quote is the price you pay.
