Section 20 makes the landlord responsible for keeping the unit in a good state of repair and compliant with maintenance standards. Section 629-9 of Toronto's property standards is one of those standards: all properties are kept free of pests and of conditions that encourage them. The City says bed bugs are not considered a health hazard. They are a property standards matter.
Who is responsible for bed bugs in an Ontario rental?
The landlord arranges treatment by a licensed operator, and the tenant prepares the unit for it. The landlord's duty rests on section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Act and on Toronto's property standards, which require every property to be kept free of pests. The tenant's part rests on the same by-law's duty to co-operate.
Reviewed 2026-10-02
01
Where the duty comes from
02
Who treats
Performing or offering an extermination takes an exterminator licence under Ontario's Pesticides Act, and running an extermination business for a fee takes an operator licence. In a RentSafeTO apartment building, all extermination must be done by a licensed operator or exterminator.
03
The tenant's part
The tenant prepares the unit to the exterminator's instructions and lets the treatment happen. Section 629-6 requires occupants to co-operate with the landlord in meeting the standards, and in apartment buildings no one may act to prevent the control or extermination of pests. Each visit, including follow ups, needs 24 hours written notice under section 27.
04
Apartment buildings
In a RentSafeTO building, any area is inspected within 72 hours of a report of pests, and once the owner knows about them it has to stop their spread and eliminate them wherever they are found.
05
Can the tenant be charged
Section 34 makes a tenant pay for undue damage caused wilfully or negligently. The Act does not mention pests, so whether a charge holds is for the Landlord and Tenant Board to decide on the facts.
06
Where Roundhouse fits
Roundhouse offers pest control, done by licensed exterminators. We send the tenant the prep sheet and the notice, and confirm the prep before the visit. See pest control and the bed bug tenant prep sheet.
07
Questions
Does the tenant have to prepare the unit for bed bug treatment?
Yes. A pesticide application only works in a prepared unit, and Toronto's property standards require the occupant to co-operate with the landlord in meeting the standards, which include keeping the property free of pests.
What if the tenant cannot prepare the unit?
Record it on the job and tell the property manager before the treatment date, so help can be arranged or the visit moved. A treatment in an unprepared unit is a wasted visit and a second notice.
Can a landlord treat bed bugs without an exterminator?
Not in a RentSafeTO apartment building. Section 354-3.3 C requires the owner or operator to retain a pest management operator or exterminator licensed by the Ministry of the Environment for all extermination.
Can a unit with bed bugs be rented to a new tenant?
Not in a RentSafeTO apartment building. Section 354-6.1 bars renting a unit to a new tenant if the owner or operator is aware of pests in it.
08
Sources
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17, sections 20, 27 and 34
- Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 629, Property Standards, sections 629-6 and 629-9
- Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings, sections 354-3.3 and 354-6.1
- City of Toronto, bed bugs
- Ontario, guide to pesticide licensing
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