Pest control is your landlord's job — not yours.
Mice, cockroaches, or bedbugs make a home unfit to live in, and in Ontario your landlord must deal with them — even if they say you caused it. Here's how to get it fixed.
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In 30 seconds, here's what's true
- Your landlord must keep your home in a good state of repair and fit to live in. That includes pest control — mice, cockroaches, and bedbugs are the landlord's responsibility to treat.
- This is true even if your landlord claims you caused the infestation. They still have to arrange and pay for treatment; they'd have to prove you caused it to try to recover the cost.
- Don't withhold rent to force a fix — it's not allowed and can get you evicted for arrears. The safe route is reporting it, then escalating to the city or the LTB.
- You do have to cooperate: report pests promptly in writing, allow entry on proper notice, and prepare your unit for treatment (like emptying cupboards) when asked.
- If your landlord won't act, you can file a T6 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board — within one year. It can order repairs, a rent reduction, and your costs back.
The steps your landlord must follow
Report it in writing right away
Tell your landlord about the pests in writing (text or email is fine) and keep a copy. Describe what you're seeing and where. This starts the clock and creates a record that you reported it.
Document everything
Take dated photos or video of the pests and any damage. Save your messages with the landlord. If you get a pest-control report or a doctor's note about bites, keep those too. Evidence wins these cases.
Call the city's property standards office
Most municipalities require rentals to be pest-free. Call 311 (or your city's property standards line) to request an inspection. An inspector can issue a work order forcing the landlord to fix it, with fines if they don't.
Call the enforcement unit
You can also call the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit at 1-888-772-9277 — a free provincial service that enforces maintenance standards and can contact or investigate your landlord.
File a T6 if it's still not fixed
If your landlord won't act, file a T6 (Tenant Application about Maintenance) with the LTB within one year. It can order the work done, a rent abatement for the time you suffered, and money for damaged belongings. A legal clinic can help.
What to do next
- Report the pests to your landlord in writing and keep a copy.
- Take dated photos or video of the pests and any damage.
- Keep all messages, pest-control reports, and medical notes.
- Call 311 or your city's property standards office for an inspection.
- Call the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (1-888-772-9277) if needed.
- Cooperate with treatment: prepare your unit as instructed.
- File a T6 with the LTB within one year if it isn't resolved.
- Start a free PLAIN session to plan your next step.
Common myths
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| Bedbugs and pests are the tenant's problem to fix. | No. Pest control is the landlord's legal duty under the Residential Tenancies Act, including bedbugs, roaches, and mice. |
| If I caused the infestation, I have to pay for extermination. | Your landlord still has to treat it. They can only try to recover the cost if they prove you caused it — and the burden is on them. |
| I can withhold rent until the pests are gone. | No. Withholding rent isn't a legal remedy and can get you evicted. File a T6 or call the city instead. |
| A clause in my lease makes pest control my responsibility. | A lease clause can't override the landlord's legal duty to keep the unit fit to live in. |
| There's nothing I can do if my landlord ignores me. | You can call 311 for a city inspection, call the enforcement unit, and file a T6 at the LTB. |
| I don't have to do anything to help with treatment. | You do have to cooperate — prepare your unit and allow entry on proper notice, or it can affect your case. |
| Photos won't matter at a hearing. | Dated photos, messages, and pest-control reports are exactly the evidence the LTB looks for. |
| It's too late to do anything once the pests are gone. | You generally have one year from when the problem was fixed to file a T6 for a rent abatement. |
Last reviewed June 2026
Written and reviewed by the founder of PLAIN, checked against primary government and legal sources. How we research these guides
Sources
PLAIN gives legal information, not legal advice. It is not a substitute for a lawyer or paralegal — and we'll point you to free ones. Laws change; we review these pages regularly, but always confirm current rules with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
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