Bed Bugs in an Alberta Rental: Who Pays?

The starting point is on the landlord. Section 16(c) of the Residential Tenancies Act says the landlord covenants that the premises will meet at least the minimum standards prescribed for housing premises under the Public Health Act and its regulations. The Minimum Housing and Health Standards, published by the Alberta government and revised June 30, 2012, say the owner must ensure the housing premises are free of insect and rodent infestations.

The Alberta Handbook says the same thing in plain words: landlords have an obligation to ensure their rental premises are free of all pest infestations, including insects and rodents. The government's Information for Tenants (June 2025) gives bed bugs as its example when it says the landlord must keep the premises habitable at the beginning and throughout the tenancy.

Who pays is a different question. The official sources reviewed do not state who pays for bed bug treatment by default. The only position found is that you have the obligation to keep the premises pest free and may seek reimbursement with evidence that the tenant caused the problem.

The standards say every tenant must allow access for repairs or pest control treatment as set out in the Residential Tenancies Act. The Handbook also says tenants should report an infestation, and it points tenants to Alberta Health Services if a landlord fails to act. A prompt report helps you as much as the tenant, because bed bugs spread to neighbouring units.

The Alberta Health Services bed bug page gives general advice: call a pest control operator, and de-clutter, clean, wash and isolate items. That is health guidance, not a list of legal duties. The sources reviewed contain no official tenant preparation checklist, so do not present one as a requirement. You can ask for reasonable preparation, and explain it in writing.

Pesticide use in dwellings is controlled by the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and its regulations, according to the AHS page. That is a reason to hire a licensed pest control operator rather than treat a unit yourself.

1. Take the report seriously and write it down. Note the date, the unit and what the tenant saw. If the report is oral, confirm it by message.
2. Have a pest control operator inspect. The AHS page says to call one. Keep the inspection report, as it is the best evidence of what is present and where.
3. Serve a proper entry notice. You may enter after notice to take necessary steps to control pests in the premises (s.23(3)(c)). The notice must be served at least 24 hours before entry, in writing and signed, state the reason, and name a date and a start and end time (a reasonable window is allowed, s.23(6)). Entry must be between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.; holiday rules are in s.23(4). No prescribed form was found.
4. Treat and follow up. Schedule treatment and any follow-up visits, each with its own proper notice.
5. Keep records of cost and cause. If you later seek reimbursement, you need evidence the tenant caused the infestation, not only that bed bugs were found.

Entry without notice is allowed only in an emergency or on abandonment (s.23(2)). Contravening section 23 carries a fine of not more than $5000 (s.60(1)). See also the Alberta notice to enter guide and the Ask page on landlord entry.

The Handbook says a landlord may apply to court or the RTDRS for reimbursement if the landlord has evidence that the tenant caused the infestation. The Act lists recovery of damages resulting from a breach among a landlord's remedies (s.26(1)). The RTDRS apply page describes damages as other financial losses resulting from the tenant's breach.

The key word is evidence. Bed bugs travel in luggage, used furniture and between units, and the sources reviewed do not set a default presumption either way. Do not deduct treatment costs from a security deposit on the strength of an assumption. The sources reviewed do not cover deposit deductions for pest costs, so see the Alberta security deposit guide and ask the RTDRS about your case.

RTDRS claims go up to $100,000, are filed within 2 years of discovering the claim, and cost $75 for claims of $7,500 or less and $150 above that. Check the page for current figures.

The standards require access, and your entry right under section 23 is the legal basis for scheduling it. The sources reviewed do not state a specific consequence for a tenant who refuses pest treatment access beyond that. The general substantial breach route (s.29 notice, or a court or RTDRS application) exists, but the Act text reviewed does not name refusal of pest treatment as a ground, so using it is a reading, not a stated rule.

Before escalating, confirm in writing that you gave proper notice and offered a different time. A record of two proper attempts is stronger than one. If the tenant keeps refusing, ask the RTDRS how to proceed rather than forcing entry. Removal of a tenant is only through a civil enforcement agency under an order, never by changing locks. For background on tenant breaches generally, see what to do if a tenant violates the lease.

The sources reviewed do not state who pays by default, do not give a fixed tenant preparation checklist, do not state the exact consequence of refusing treatment, and do not cover municipal by-laws on pests. A municipal rule, if one exists, would apply only in that city. If a question turns on one of these points, ask the RTDRS, Alberta Health Services or Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction.

This guide explains the rules in general terms; for a specific case, ask the tribunal or a licensed legal professional.