Does Renters Insurance Cover Bedbugs?

Ridding your home of bedbugs can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000, according to HomeAdvisor.^[0]

Does renters insurance cover bedbugs?

Generally, the answer is no. Most renters insurance doesn't cover bedbugs (with a few exceptions).

That's because renters insurance is designed to cover sudden, unexpected disasters such as a fire or hurricane. Dealing with bedbugs, mice or other vermin is considered part of home maintenance, and therefore isn’t covered by most policies.

Extermination isn't the only expense your policy won't cover. For example, renters insurance usually won't replace an infested mattress that can’t be salvaged. Nor will it cover your hotel bills if you need to move elsewhere for a few nights.

If you do want bedbug coverage, you have a few options. Jetty includes a "Bedbugs Power-Up" in all its renters policies. This coverage will pay $300 toward the cost of getting rid of bedbugs. However, Jetty renters insurance is available only to those living in the company's partner properties. Ask your landlord if it’s an option.

Some eRenterPlan and ePremium policies may have the option to add bedbug coverage, depending on where you live. But like Jetty, eRenterPlan policies are available only at participating apartment complexes.

In select states, Assurant renters policies cover extermination and other bedbug-related costs.

» MORE: What is renters insurance, and what does it cover?

Is your landlord responsible for getting rid of bedbugs?

In many cases, yes, especially if you live in a multiunit building. But it depends on your location and the circumstances of your infestation. Your first step is to check your lease, which might specify whose responsibility it is to remove bugs.

Your rights as a tenant

Tenants generally have certain rights under the legal concept of the “implied warranty of habit­ability.” That means your landlord must provide a basic standard of housing. It typically includes heat, structurally sound walls and floors, safe drinking water — and no vermin.

However, this doesn’t guarantee that your landlord will pay to get rid of your bedbugs. If there’s a clear argument that you introduced the pests yourself, you may be on the hook for the extermination bill.

Say you’ve lived in a single-family rental house for two years, but the bedbugs didn’t show up until you returned from an overseas vacation. Odds are, you were the one to bring the bugs into your home, and you’ll have to pay to get rid of them.

But what if you live in an apartment building where bedbugs have invaded several units? In such cases, it may be hard to tell where the infestation started, so the landlord will pay the bill.

» MORE: Renters insurance quotes: What you need to know

State bedbug laws

Some parts of the country have passed specific bedbug regulations. In Colorado, for instance, the landlord must pay for extermination. However, tenants are responsible for relocation costs and replacing their own belongings.

Florida law requires the landlord to get rid of bedbugs and other pests in any rental unit other than a single-family home or duplex.

Check your state and city laws to determine whether your landlord is obligated to foot the extermination bill.

Tenants must generally report the infestation to their landlord in a timely fashion and cooperate with the exterminator. For example, you might need to clean up clutter or leave the building while treatment is going on.

In turn, the landlord typically must respond to a bedbug report within a few days and give notice before the exterminator arrives.

If you and your landlord can’t agree on who should pay for the extermination, or if your landlord refuses to help at all, you may need to consult a lawyer.

» MORE: The best renters insurance companies

How to get rid of bedbugs

In addition to hiring an exterminator, try these tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.^[0]