Bed bug protocol for Ontario landlords

The landlord. Section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Act requires the landlord to keep the unit in a good state of repair and fit for habitation, and the Landlord and Tenant Board treats infestations as a maintenance obligation. This holds even if the tenant was aware of the condition before moving in. The narrow exception is recovering additional costs caused by a tenant’s proven failure to cooperate, which the landlord must establish.

Potentially, but only through the Board and only with evidence. A landlord may apply to recover additional costs where a tenant failed to cooperate and that failure caused wasted or repeated visits. You must prove both the non-cooperation and that it caused the extra cost, which in practice means written preparation instructions, proof the tenant received them, and a technician record of the unit being unprepared on arrival.

There is no fixed statutory deadline, but the standard applied is reasonable and timely. Acknowledging in writing within 24 to 48 hours and booking an inspection promptly is the practical benchmark, and it is what a Board member will look for. Delay is where most landlord exposure is created, because a documented complaint followed by an undocumented response is difficult to defend.

It is strongly advisable. Bed bugs travel between adjoining units through wall voids, shared services and baseboards, so treating only the reporting unit frequently leaves a source untouched. Inspecting neighbouring units is both better pest management and evidence of a reasonable, thorough response.

Typically two — the first treatment and a follow-up. No single application reaches eggs that have not yet hatched, so the follow-up is part of the treatment rather than an upsell. Severe or long-established infestations can require more. Cancelling follow-ups early because the unit appears clear is the most common cause of a recurrence.

Per-unit pricing for landlords treating a block of units typically runs $300–$450 per unit, including adjacent-unit inspection and a follow-up visit where activity persists. A single occupied unit treated on its own runs $550–$750. Building-wide programs are quoted after inspection because scope depends on how many units show activity.

No. We run multi-visit chemical programs. For the large majority of residential and multi-unit situations a properly executed chemical program resolves the infestation at considerably lower cost than heat treatment, and we will tell you plainly if we think a property needs something we do not provide.

Yes, and for most property managers this is the main reason to use a licensed company rather than handling it informally. Every visit produces a dated service record with findings, work performed and recommendations. That history is what demonstrates a reasonable and timely response if a tenant files a T6 application.