| Situation | Who the statute points to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bugs present at move-in | Landlord | “Reasonable program for the control of infestation ... at the initiation of the tenancy” — applies to every dwelling type |
| Infestation appears mid-tenancy, apartment or multi-unit | Landlord, unless tenant caused it | “Control infestation during tenancy except where such infestation is caused by the tenant” |
| Infestation appears mid-tenancy, single-family house | Not the landlord under the statute (check the lease) | The during-tenancy duty excludes “a single-family residence” |
| Evidence the tenant introduced them (used furniture, travel, a guest) | Tenant | Tenant shall “assume all costs of extermination and fumigation for infestation caused by the tenant” (59.18.130(2)) |
| Tenant refuses reasonable access for treatment | Landlord’s duty suspended | No duty “where a tenant unreasonably fails to allow the landlord access” |
| Spread from a neighboring unit | Usually landlord | Not caused by this tenant; building-wide control is the owner’s program |
The hard part is “caused by”
Bed bugs do not announce where they came from, and the statute does not say who has to prove it. In practice the first finding — which unit, which room, how established — is the evidence both sides end up relying on. That is why we write the inspection down before we heat anything: where activity was found, how heavy, and whether adjacent units show signs. It is the fairest document either party will get.
If you are a tenant
Put the notice in writing, date it, keep a copy; Washington’s repair-notice process (RCW 59.18.070) starts a clock. Do not fog the unit yourself — the state health department says foggers “are not effective in controlling bed bugs,” and spraying can push them into the neighbor’s unit, which muddies the causation question against you. Retaliation for the complaint is prohibited (RCW 59.18.240, .250).
If you are a landlord
Treating promptly is cheaper than arguing, and in Tacoma it is also what keeps your rent-increase and notice rights intact under TMC 1.95. One documented whole-home heat day, with a report, closes the question. How we work with managers →
Need the treatment, not the argument?
Call with the address. We inspect, document, and quote flat.
Call (253) 683-8516