Quick answer
New York landlords have three core bed bug duties: (1) since December 2024, a landlord who learns of an infestation must give written notice within 72 hours to tenants in the units immediately above, below and adjacent to the infested unit; (2) they must give every new tenant an annual bed bug history disclosure for the building; and (3) NYC multiple-dwelling owners must file an annual bed bug report with HPD. Landlords are generally responsible for eradicating infestations in rental units. Report an infestation to your landlord in writing and keep a copy.
Plain-English summary, not legal advice. This explains how New York’s bed bug rules generally work. For a specific dispute, consult a tenant attorney or the relevant NYC agency.
Bed bugs are not a cleanliness problem — they spread through travel, second-hand furniture and shared walls, and they turn up in five-star hotels as readily as spotless apartments. What matters legally is that both landlords and tenants act quickly and in writing.
The three duties New York landlords owe
1. New: 72-hour notice to nearby units (statewide). Since December 2024, New York Real Property Law § 235-j requires a landlord who learns of a bed bug infestation to give written notice within 72 hours to tenants in the units immediately above, below and adjacent to the infested unit. The notice must not identify the infested unit or contain any personally identifying information about the affected tenant. If the infestation is in a common area, the landlord must post notice in a conspicuous, accessible location within 72 hours. (The original 2024 law required 24-hour notice to all tenants; a 2025 amendment narrowed it to nearby units within 72 hours.)
2. Annual bed bug history disclosure (NYC). Under NYC Administrative Code § 27-2018.1, landlords must give every tenant signing a vacancy lease a notice disclosing the property’s bed bug infestation history for the previous year — for both the rented unit and the building — and must repeat it annually.
3. Annual HPD bed bug report (NYC). Under § 27-2018.2, owners of multiple dwellings must file an annual bed bug report with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) covering units infested and the eradication measures taken.
Who pays for treatment
As part of keeping a unit habitable, landlords are generally responsible for arranging and paying for professional extermination of bed bug infestations in rental housing, including infestations that spread between units in a multi-family building. Unit-by-unit reactive spraying tends to leave owners exposed — bed bugs move between units through shared walls and risers, so a documented building-wide treatment is what evidences compliance.
Landlord responsibilities (checklist)
- Give the 72-hour written notice to nearby units when an infestation is discovered (no PII, no unit identification).
- Post common-area infestations conspicuously within 72 hours.
- Provide the annual bed bug history disclosure at lease signing and yearly.
- File the annual HPD bed bug report (multiple dwellings).
- Arrange and pay for professional extermination, and keep dated records of the treatment.
Tenant responsibilities (checklist)
- Report infestations in writing promptly, and keep a dated copy.
- Allow access for inspection and treatment, and follow the preparation instructions.
- Avoid actions that spread the infestation (e.g. moving infested furniture into common areas).
How to report an infestation (step by step)
- Document it — photograph the bugs, bites and any rust-coloured spots on bedding.
- Notify in writing — email or letter to your landlord/management; keep a dated copy.
- Request professional treatment — DIY by tenants rarely eradicates an infestation and often spreads it.
- Escalate if ignored — if the landlord does not act, file a complaint with NYC HPD by calling 311; unresolved infestations can be treated as code violations.
Why documentation matters
Because New York requires disclosure and now proactive 72-hour notice, dated written records protect everyone. If you’re a landlord, professional treatment with documentation keeps you compliant across all three duties; if you’re a tenant, written notice protects your rights and speeds the fix.
Need treatment documented properly? See our bed bug treatment — we provide the inspection records and treatment documentation that tenants, landlords and co-op boards need for compliance.