Bed Bug Answers

New York City · local law on top of New York State

Bed bug law in New York City. Who’s responsible, and how to report it.

New York State decides who ultimately pays — but New York City layers real, enforceable duties on top: a landlord filing you can look up before you sign, a disclosure you’re owed, a 30-day clock once a violation is written, and a clear complaint path through 311 and HPD. Here is what is specific to the city, each point sourced to the city’s own guidance. For who pays, start with the New York State page.

What NYC adds on top of state law

Local Law 69 of 2017

An annual bed bug filing you can look up

Owners of buildings with three or more residential units must ask tenants about bed bug history each year and file an annual Bedbug Report with HPD between December 1 and 31 — even if there were no infestations. HPD posts it publicly on HPDONLINE, so you can check a building’s history before you sign. NYC HPD · NYC311

You’re owed a disclosure

The bed bug history, in writing

At a new lease, the owner must give you the filing receipt (or post it in the building), and New York State’s Bedbug Disclosure Form requires disclosing the property’s infestation history for the past year to new tenants. NYC HPD · NY HCR

The enforcement clock

A 30-day violation

In the NYC Housing Maintenance Code a bed bug infestation is a Class B (“hazardous”) violation, which the owner must correct within 30 days. That is the teeth behind a 311 complaint. NYC HMC

How to report bed bugs in NYC

  1. Tell your landlord, in writing

    Notify the owner or managing agent in writing and keep a dated copy. In NYC the owner is responsible for extermination in a rental — written notice is what puts them on the clock. Our what-to-do-tonight guide covers the first steps; log the dates and photos. NYC HPD

  2. If it isn’t fixed, file with 311

    If the owner doesn’t address it, file a complaint online at NYC311 or call 311. HPD schedules an inspection and can issue a violation with the 30-day correction deadline. NYC311

  3. Check the building’s filing history

    Look the address up on HPDONLINE to see the annual Bedbug Report on file — useful whether you’re fighting a current problem or vetting a place before you move in. NYC HPD

  4. Know who pays

    NYC handles enforcement; New York State law decides cost and your other remedies. See the New York State page for who pays, deadlines, and rent-withholding rules before you act.

Before you sign a lease in NYC

  • Pull the building’s HPDONLINE record. The annual Bedbug Report is public — a building with a recent infestation history is on file.
  • Ask for the Bedbug Disclosure Form. You’re entitled to the property’s one-year bed bug history in writing before you sign.
  • Watch for the filing receipt posted in the lobby or given with your lease — its absence is itself a sign the owner may not be compliant.

Where this comes from

  • NYC Dept. of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) — Bedbugs; Bedbug Annual Report requirements and FAQ. nyc.gov/hpd
  • NYC311 — Bed Bug Annual Report; filing a bed bug complaint. portal.311.nyc.gov
  • NY State Homes & Community Renewal (HCR) — Notice to Tenant: Disclosure of Bedbug Infestation History (Form DBB-N). hcr.ny.gov
  • NYC Housing Maintenance Code — bed bug infestation as a Class B violation. See the New York State analysis for the underlying statute.

Reviewed against the city’s own guidance on . Local filing deadlines and forms change — confirm the current year’s requirements on HPD’s site before relying on them. This is sourced guidance, not legal advice.