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Bed bugs, cockroaches, mice and other pests are generally treated as a rental-housing maintenance issue in Ontario. The legal starting point is the landlord’s duty to maintain the property, combined with the tenant’s duties of ordinary cleanliness and responsibility for undue damage caused wilfully or negligently.
General information only: this is not legal or pest-control advice.
What Ontario law says about pests
Section 20(1) of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 requires landlords to maintain rental properties in a good state of repair, fit for habitation and in compliance with applicable health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.
Ontario Regulation 517/06 goes further. Section 46 requires a residential complex to be kept reasonably free of rodents, vermin and insects. It also requires extermination methods to comply with applicable law and openings that may permit pest entry to be screened or sealed as appropriate.
That makes pest control primarily a landlord maintenance obligation. A landlord should investigate and take reasonable corrective steps rather than simply telling a tenant to solve the infestation alone.
What tenants are responsible for
Section 33 of the RTA makes tenants responsible for ordinary cleanliness. Section 34 makes tenants responsible for undue damage caused wilfully or negligently by the tenant, another occupant or someone the tenant permits in the complex.
In a pest situation, tenants should:
- report sightings promptly;
- maintain ordinary cleanliness;
- avoid moving infested belongings through common areas where practical;
- provide lawful access for inspection and treatment; and
- follow reasonable preparation instructions from a qualified pest-control provider.
Those duties do not mean every infestation is automatically the tenant’s financial responsibility.
What landlords should do after a pest report
- Document the tenant’s report and arrange an inspection.
- Determine whether one unit or multiple units may be affected.
- Engage an appropriate pest-control professional where necessary.
- Provide tenants with clear preparation and access instructions.
- Seal pest-entry points where required.
- Schedule follow-up treatment or monitoring when recommended.
- Keep records of treatment dates, reports and tenant communications.
In multi-unit buildings, coordinated treatment may be necessary because treating one unit in isolation may not address pests that have spread between units.
Can a landlord enter for pest treatment?
Yes, where the RTA permits entry, but normal entry rules still apply. In most non-emergency cases, a landlord must provide proper written notice that states the reason, date and time of entry and complies with the statutory timing rules. See When Can a Landlord Enter a Rental Unit in Ontario?.
Can a landlord charge the tenant for pest treatment?
Not automatically. The existence of pests does not by itself prove that a tenant caused the infestation through wilful or negligent conduct. If a landlord seeks compensation based on alleged tenant-caused damage or costs, the landlord should be able to prove the conduct, causation and reasonable amount claimed through the applicable legal process.
A landlord also cannot convert the last month’s rent deposit into a general damage or pest-control deposit. See Rental Deposits in Ontario.
What if the landlord does nothing?
A tenant should keep a written record of the report, follow-ups and continuing pest activity. Depending on the property and municipality, the tenant may be able to contact municipal property standards and/or file an LTB Form T6 concerning maintenance.
The LTB’s T6 instructions permit an application where the landlord has not repaired or maintained the rental unit or complex or has not complied with health, safety, housing or maintenance standards.
Bed bug documentation checklist
- Date and location of first sighting
- Written notice to landlord
- Photographs where practical
- Pest-control inspection report
- Preparation instructions
- Treatment dates
- Follow-up sightings
- Records of adjacent-unit treatment if disclosed and relevant
- Entry notices and access communications
Frequently asked questions
Does a tenant have to pay for bed bug treatment?
Not merely because bed bugs were found in the tenant’s unit. A charge would require a legal basis and evidence supporting tenant responsibility.
Can a landlord evict a tenant because there are bed bugs?
The presence of bed bugs itself is not an automatic ground for eviction. If a landlord alleges separate tenant conduct, such as wilful or negligent damage or serious interference with treatment, the landlord must use the applicable RTA process and prove the allegation.
Should a tenant hire an exterminator without telling the landlord?
Normally, the landlord should be notified first so treatment can be coordinated for the property, especially in a multi-unit complex.
Official sources
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 — Ontario e-Laws
- O. Reg. 517/06 — Maintenance Standards, including s. 46
- LTB Form T6 Instructions
Related: Repairs and Maintenance Responsibilities · Tenant Resources · Landlord Resources