Bed bug treatment for London landlords, HMOs and hotels
A single room with bed bugs in a shared house, a hostel or a block of flats can become several within weeks. London has more of these buildings than anywhere else in the country, and they are where infestations spread fastest. The answer is to treat early, treat the rooms around the one reported, and keep a written record.
Prices for several rooms or units are set after a survey. As a guide, a single residential room in London costs £400 to £950 depending on the method.
A free matching service, not a pest control firm. We find you a bed bug specialist who covers your borough and tell you who they are first. How it works
Typical London prices for landlords and businesses
| One room, spray or steam Usually two visits | £400 to £650 |
| One room, heat One day, room back that evening | £550 to £950 |
| Whole flat between tenants One or two bedrooms | £320 to £1,650 |
| Detection dog survey Many rooms or flats in one visit | £350 to £450 |
| HMO, hostel or hotel floor Priced after a survey | Survey first |
Rounded from the Fantastic Services cost guide (London and South East, updated 30 September 2026), Checkatrade (May 2026) and published detection dog prices. Commercial work is quoted job by job; no firm we checked publishes a hotel-room rate. A guide, not a quote. The London price calculator prices a single home.
Who we help find a specialist for
- Private landlords and letting agents with a tenant reporting bites.
- HMO landlords, where rooms share a kitchen, bathroom and often furniture.
- Managing agents and freeholders dealing with a problem across a block.
- Hotels, hostels, B&Bs and short-let hosts who need a room back in use fast.
- Offices, care settings and student accommodation.
Who pays in a rented London home
A rented home in England has to stay fit to live in, and councils treat pests as a hazard when they inspect one. Shelter says the landlord should deal with an infestation that was there when the tenant moved in, or that comes from disrepair. The NRLA advises landlords that, because blame for bed bugs is so hard to pin down, they should generally pay and act quickly.
Tenants should report bites or signs straight away, allow access with the usual notice, and follow the preparation sheet. If a landlord does not act, the council's environmental health team can inspect. This is general information, not legal advice; check your tenancy agreement.
A tenant has reported bites? Acting in the first week is far cheaper than treating the whole house later.
Ask for a free quoteHow a building is usually treated
Report and survey
The reported room is inspected, then the rooms or flats around it.
Plan and notice
The specialist sets out which rooms, which method and when. Tenants or guests get notice and a preparation sheet.
Treatment
All affected rooms are treated together where possible, so bugs are not pushed from one room to the next.
Follow-up and record
Return visits check the result, and you get a written record of the work.
Six things to get in writing
Two quotes that cover these can be compared line by line.
- A survey of neighbouring rooms
- Not just the room reported. In an HMO or a hotel corridor, the rooms either side and opposite.
- Notice and access
- Who tells the tenants, how much notice they get, and what they need to do to prepare.
- A method statement
- Products or heat used, re-entry times, and how smoke detectors and sprinklers are handled.
- A written record
- Dates, rooms treated, what was found and what was used. Useful for the file, the insurer or a dispute.
- Follow-up visits
- How many are included, and the price for any rooms found later.
- Trade body and insurance
- Membership of a body such as the BPCA, and public liability cover for working in occupied buildings.
Questions Londoners ask
Is the landlord responsible for bed bugs in London?
- Usually, in practice. Landlords must keep a home fit to live in, and the NRLA advises landlords to pay and act fast because it is so hard to prove who brought bed bugs in. A tenant may be asked to pay where their actions clearly caused it and the tenancy agreement allows it.
How quickly can a hotel room be back in use?
- With heat treatment, often the same day or the next. With spray, the room can usually be used once dry, but a second visit is needed after about two weeks.
Should every room in an HMO be treated?
- Not always, but more than the room reported. A survey of the rooms around it decides, and shared sofas and communal areas need checking too.
Will the council treat an HMO?
- Some London councils treat bed bugs for residents, but many only offer it for domestic properties and charge for each visit. Commercial and multi-unit buildings usually need a private firm.
What records should I keep?
- The date of the report, the inspection finding, the rooms treated, the method, the follow-up dates and the invoice. A good specialist provides most of this.
Get a price for your property
Three short steps: your postcode, the property, then how to reach you. The more the specialist knows about the building, the closer the first price will be.
This is a free matching service, not a pest control firm. We find a bed bug specialist who covers your borough and name them to you first. Nobody calls you until you say yes.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- Within one working day we will ring or email with the name of a bed bug specialist who works in your borough.
- Nothing is passed on until you tell us you are happy with that firm.
- The firm inspects and sets a fixed price. We will not send you sales emails.