# Can I charge for pest control? Source: https://tenancyvaults.co.uk/faqs/can-i-charge-for-pest-control By TenancyVaults (Run by a landlord in England) · Last checked 19 October 2026 ## The short answer Sometimes. You can deduct the cost of treatment if the evidence shows the infestation began during the tenancy and your tenant caused it. If pests came from a problem with the building, treating them is part of your own duties. A separate pest control fee isn’t a permitted payment in England. ### Key points - A pest control deduction needs evidence of three things: no infestation at check-in, one at the end, and a cause your tenant was responsible for. - In England, a landlord must keep a rented home fit for human habitation, and exposure to pests is one of the hazards that fitness takes into account. - That fitness duty doesn’t cover unfitness caused wholly or mainly by the tenant’s own breach of the tenancy (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 9A). - In a mydeposits case, £264 of bed bug treatment was awarded in full. The check-in showed no infestation, and a contractor dated it to the tenancy. - The Tenant Fees Act 2019 permits damages for a breach of the tenancy agreement, so treatment can come from the deposit. A pest control fee can’t be charged. ## Can a landlord charge a tenant for pest control? Yes, as a deduction from the deposit, when the evidence shows your tenant was responsible. That means showing the infestation wasn’t there at check-in, that it was there at the end, and what caused it. The burden of proof is on you, and the deposit stays the tenant’s money until you show your claim ([joint guide](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Deposits-disputes-and-damages-3008.pdf)). Pest deductions turn on cause more than most. The schemes’ joint guide says the landlord is always liable for the structure, maintenance and repair of the property under statute. So the adjudicator (the scheme’s impartial decision-maker) needs to understand why a contractor’s bill wasn’t your responsibility ([joint guide](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Deposits-disputes-and-damages-3008.pdf)). ## Who is responsible for pests, the landlord or the tenant? It depends on the cause. In England, most tenancies of a home include a promise by the landlord that it’s fit for human habitation, and stays fit ([Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 9A](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/9A)). Fitness takes account of hazards prescribed under the Housing Act 2004 ([section 10](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/10)). Exposure to pests is one of them ([Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005, Schedule 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/3208/schedule/1)). The same law sets out the tenant’s side. The fitness promise doesn’t require you to do work the tenant is liable for under their duty to use the home in a tenant-like manner. Nor does it cover unfitness caused wholly or mainly by the tenant’s own breach ([section 9A](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/9A)). You also have to keep the structure and exterior in repair, including drains, gutters and external pipes ([section 11](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/11)). In Wales, the landlord’s fitness duty is in the [Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, section 91](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2016/1/section/91). So the evidence has to show which of these explains the infestation. 1. Pests got in, or thrived, because of the building, such as gaps, damp or a defect you were told about. 2. Pests followed from how the home was kept, such as food waste, rubbish or an unreported problem left to spread. ## Does the Tenant Fees Act stop me charging for pest control? It stops a pest control fee, not a deposit deduction for a breach. In England, a landlord can only require the payments listed in the Tenant Fees Act 2019 ([Schedule 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/schedule/1)). A pest control charge isn’t on that list. You also can’t require your tenant to hire a pest controller or any other contractor ([section 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/section/1); [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fees-you-can-charge-as-part-of-a-tenancy)). The list does include damages for a breach of the tenancy agreement ([Schedule 1, paragraph 5](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/schedule/1)). A tenancy deposit is security for the tenant’s obligations under the tenancy ([Housing Act 2004, section 212](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/section/212)). The schemes’ joint guide confirms landlords can still recover damages for a breach through the deposit ([joint guide](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Deposits-disputes-and-damages-3008.pdf)). So where a tenant’s breach caused an infestation, the reasonable cost of treatment can be a deduction. It goes through the scheme’s process like any other. ## What evidence shows the tenant caused an infestation? Evidence from the start, the middle and the end of the tenancy. Send: 1. the check-in report, recording no signs of pests in each room, with photos of the kitchen, under sinks and the loft 2. any mid-tenancy inspection reports, and what you asked your tenant to do afterwards 3. your tenant’s reports of the problem, and your replies, with dates 4. a contractor’s report on the type of pest, the likely cause and how long it had been there 5. the contractor’s invoice, and the check-out report A contractor’s report should be on headed paper, dated and name the property. The adjudicator won’t automatically follow the contractor’s opinion ([TDS](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/1how-to-present-your-case-to-a-tds-adjudicator.pdf)). DPS lists statements from independent contractors among the evidence it accepts ([DPS](https://www.depositprotection.com/claims-and-disputes/what-makes-a-reasonable-deposit-claim)). The check-in report should describe the cleanliness and condition of each room in turn ([TDS](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/1tds-guide-to-inventories-check-in-and-check-out-reports-v11.pdf)). A line saying no pests were seen is what later evidence is compared against. ## What have adjudicators awarded for pests? Two published mydeposits cases show how the evidence was weighed. Each is one decision on its own evidence, not a rule. - **Bed bugs.** The check-in showed no infestation, and a specialist contractor said it had been present only a couple of months. The adjudicator found it began during the tenancy. The **£264** treatment and **£80** removal were awarded in full, and **60%** of a replacement bed and mattress (**£204**), allowing for their age. The landlord received **£548** of the **£684** disputed ([mydeposits](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/pest-infestation/)). - **Cockroaches.** The check-in recorded the home cleaned to a professional standard. Four quarterly inspections found poor hygiene, the agent emailed advice several times, and the contractor gave the cause as “tenant living”. The full **£563** disputed was awarded: **£240** for two treatments and **£323** for cleaning ([mydeposits](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/adjudication-case-study-cockroach-infestation-and-cleaning-responsibilities/)). Both cases rest on the same evidence: a clean check-in, a dated record of what happened during the tenancy, and a contractor who explained the cause. ## What about mice, rats or fleas? The same test applies to each. Where a contractor’s report says rodents got in through gaps in the structure or exterior, expect the adjudicator to ask why that isn’t part of your repair duty ([joint guide](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Deposits-disputes-and-damages-3008.pdf)). Where the report links them to food waste or rubbish left by the tenant, the deduction rests on that report and your inspection records. For fleas after a pet, a guess isn’t evidence. TDS’s example of a badly presented landlord claim includes the line “There are probably fleas in the carpet as well” ([TDS](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/1how-to-present-your-case-to-a-tds-adjudicator.pdf)). A pest controller’s written report and invoice are what an adjudicator can weigh. ## Where next? Record the absence of pests at check-in, follow up anything you find at inspections in writing, and get a contractor’s report on cause before you treat. The page on [what you can deduct](https://tenancyvaults.co.uk/faqs/what-can-i-deduct-from-a-tenancy-deposit) covers the other deductions, and [cleaning](https://tenancyvaults.co.uk/faqs/can-i-charge-the-tenant-for-cleaning) often goes with a pest deduction. The [deposit deduction calculator](https://tenancyvaults.co.uk/deposit-deduction-calculator) reduces replaced furniture for age. If your tenant disputes it, a [deposit dispute pack](https://tenancyvaults.co.uk/dispute-packs) puts the contractor’s report, the inspections and the two reports in order for the adjudicator. ## Common questions ### Do I need to record that there were no pests at check-in? It isn’t a legal requirement, but a pest deduction is hard to support without it. The burden of proof is on you. In mydeposits’ bed bug case, a check-in showing no infestation was part of the evidence that led to treatment being awarded in full. ### Can I require a professional flea treatment when a tenant with a pet leaves? Not in England. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 stops a landlord requiring a tenant to contract with a third party for a service. If there are fleas at the end, with a pest controller’s report to show it, the reasonable cost of treatment can be a deduction. ### What if the pests were there before my tenant moved in? Then it didn’t begin during the tenancy, which is the first thing a pest deduction has to show. The landlord’s fitness duty applies from the start of the tenancy. A check-in that records no pests is what shows the difference. ### Can I claim for furniture thrown away after an infestation? Yes, reduced for age. In mydeposits’ bed bug case, replacing the bed and mattress was found reasonable, and 60% of the cost was awarded, allowing for wear. The removal charge was awarded in full. ### Can I claim pest control costs above the deposit? Not through the scheme. An adjudicator can award no more than the deposit. Any balance has to be claimed separately, through the county court. ## Sources The facts on this page come from these official sources, checked on 19 October 2026. 1. [mydeposits: Resolution case study, pest infestation and replacement items](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/pest-infestation/) 2. [mydeposits: Adjudication case study, cockroach infestation and cleaning responsibilities](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/content-hub/adjudication-case-study-cockroach-infestation-and-cleaning-responsibilities/) 3. [Tenancy Deposits, Disputes and Damages (joint guide from TDS, DPS and mydeposits)](https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Deposits-disputes-and-damages-3008.pdf) 4. [TDS: How to present your case to a TDS adjudicator](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/1how-to-present-your-case-to-a-tds-adjudicator.pdf) 5. [TDS: Inventories, check-in and check-out reports (effective 1 April 2019)](https://custodial.tenancydepositscheme.com/public/support/1tds-guide-to-inventories-check-in-and-check-out-reports-v11.pdf) 6. [DPS: What makes a reasonable deposit claim?](https://www.depositprotection.com/claims-and-disputes/what-makes-a-reasonable-deposit-claim) 7. [Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 9A](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/9A) 8. [Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 10](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/10) 9. [Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/11) 10. [Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005, Schedule 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/3208/schedule/1) 11. [Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, section 91](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2016/1/section/91) 12. [Housing Act 2004, section 212](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/section/212) 13. [Tenant Fees Act 2019, section 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/section/1) 14. [Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/schedule/1) 15. [GOV.UK: Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (July 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fees-you-can-charge-as-part-of-a-tenancy)