What must California landlords tell tenants about bed bugs?
California landlords must give every new tenant a written bed bug notice before the tenancy starts, in at least 10-point type, with the state's information about bed bugs and how to report a suspected infestation (Civil Code section 1954.603). You also cannot show or rent a unit you know has a current infestation, and after a pest control operator inspects, you must tell the inspected units the findings in writing within two business days.
The notice, part by part
Section 1954.603 has applied to new tenancies since July 1, 2017, and all existing tenants were to receive it by January 1, 2018. The notice must be in at least 10-point type and include, at a minimum, two parts.
Part 1: general information
The statute sets out the text to use, in substantially this form, under the heading Information about Bed Bugs. It covers what bed bugs look like (six legs, flat bodies about a quarter inch long as adults, red to brown or copper; young ones about a sixteenth of an inch and nearly colorless), their life cycle (about 10 months, one to five eggs a day, adults in about 21 days, months without feeding), bites, and the common signs: small reddish fecal spots on bedding or walls, shed skins and eggs, a sweet odor in heavy infestations, and itchy bites. It ends by pointing to the websites of the U.S. EPA and the National Pest Management Association.
Do not paraphrase it into your own words. Copy the statutory text closely, because the law says substantially the following form.
Part 2: how to report
The notice must also give your procedure for reporting suspected infestations. Make it concrete: who to tell, how (email address or portal, and a phone number), and what you will do next. The statute stresses prompt written reporting, so ask for reports in writing.
A reporting procedure you can paste in
This is an outline for Part 2. Adapt it to how you actually run the building.
- If you see signs of bed bugs or get bites you think are from bed bugs, tell us in writing right away at the email address on your lease. Include your unit number, where you saw signs and when.
- Do not move furniture or bedding to other units or the common areas, and do not put infested items in the trash without bagging them.
- We will schedule an inspection by a licensed pest control operator and give you written notice before entry.
- Please give the inspector access and the information they ask for. We will tell you the findings in writing within two business days of receiving them.
- Neighboring units may also be inspected until the bed bugs are gone.
The other three rules in the chapter
| Section | What it says | What it means day to day |
|---|---|---|
| 1954.602 | You may not show, rent or lease a vacant unit you know has a current infestation. No duty to inspect without notice, but an infestation evident on visual inspection counts as notice. | Look for signs at every turn. If you find them, treat and clear the unit before marketing it. |
| 1954.604 | Entry follows Civil Code section 1954. Entry to inspect units the pest control operator picks, and follow-up inspections of surrounding units until bed bugs are eliminated, is a necessary service. Tenants must cooperate and give needed information. | Give written notice of entry for each unit, including neighbors that have not reported anything. |
| 1954.605 | Notify tenants of inspected units of the operator's findings in writing within two business days of receiving them. For confirmed infestations in common areas, notify all tenants. | Send each inspected unit its result, even when the result is no bed bugs found. |
A pest control operator here means someone with a Branch 2 operator, field representative or applicator license from the Structural Pest Control Board (section 1954.601).
Example a made-up owner receives the operator's written findings for Units 4, 5 and 8 on a Thursday. Counting business days, Friday is day one and Monday is day two, so written results must reach all three units by Monday. If the operator also confirms bed bugs in the laundry room, every tenant in the building gets a notice too.
Notice of entry for inspections
Civil Code section 1954 requires reasonable written notice of entry stating the date, approximate time and purpose, and entry during normal business hours. Twenty-four hours is presumed reasonable; mailed notice is presumed reasonable six days ahead. For a building-wide inspection, deliver notices to every affected unit at once and keep a copy of each with the date delivered.
For who pays for treatment and how other states handle it, see who pays for bed bug treatment in an apartment.
Sending the notices with DoorKeeping
In DoorKeeping, store the bed bug notice in your documents and include it with each new lease, which tenants sign electronically, so you have a dated copy for every tenancy. When an inspection is needed, open a work order, send the job to your pest control company by link, and email the findings to each inspected unit from DoorKeeping so the date sent is on record. Treatment bills are read by AI and coded to pest control under cleaning and maintenance, and each payment waits for your approval. The price is $2 per unit per month, with no other fees.
Sources
- California Civil Code section 1954.601 (pest control operator), read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code section 1954.602 (no renting infested units), read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code section 1954.603 (bed bug notice), read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code section 1954.604 (entry and cooperation), read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code section 1954.605 (notice of findings), read Oct 30, 2026
- California Civil Code section 1954 (landlord entry), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Is a bed bug disclosure required in California?
- Yes. Section 1954.603 requires a written bed bug notice to every prospective tenant before a new tenancy, in at least 10-point type, with the state's information and your reporting procedure.
- Can I rent a unit that had bed bugs?
- You cannot show or rent a vacant unit you know has a current infestation. Once it has been treated and cleared, the ban no longer applies.
- How fast must I share inspection results?
- In writing within two business days of receiving the pest control operator's findings, to each inspected unit, and to all tenants when the infestation is in a common area.