Bed Bugs in a Manitoba Rental: Who Pays?

The Residential Tenancies Branch (RTB) fact sheet on bed bugs says landlords are responsible for the costs of pest control treatment (RTB fact sheet on bed bugs). The same sheet says a landlord may claim from the tenant:

• extra costs caused by the tenant, for example refusing the exterminator or not preparing the unit, or
• the whole cost, if the landlord can prove the tenant caused the infestation.

The Branch holds a hearing on that kind of claim. The guidebook on pest control adds that if you have to treat a second time because a tenant did not co-operate, you may file a claim against the tenant for the cost of the second extermination (RTB guidebook on pest control, last revised May 2015).

The fact sheet is undated, and older RTB pages carry the 2015 date. Neither sets a ceiling on what a landlord may charge for treatment. The Act and Regulation reviewed set none, and costs go through a claim. A claim for compensation not related to a deposit has a $50 filing fee (Regulation s. 23(a)).

Proving the tenant caused the problem is the hard part, because bed bugs travel between units. Treat "the tenant brought them in" as something you must show, not something the Branch will presume.

No section of The Residential Tenancies Act mentions bed bugs. Your duty comes from s. 59(1): during a tenancy you must provide and maintain the unit and complex in a good state of repair, fit for habitation and complying with health, building, maintenance and occupancy standards required by law.

The RTB guidebook says pests include insects like cockroaches and bed bugs, and that a landlord generally must investigate complaints, get rid of pests by commonly accepted methods and repair what lets pests in.

Provincial public health law is a separate source. The Dwellings and Buildings Regulation under The Public Health Act says an owner may not let a dwelling unless the premises are free of insect pests and rodents, and while the dwelling is occupied the owner must keep maintaining that condition (Dwellings and Buildings Regulation, s. 15). That is a public health rule, not an RTB rule, and how it is enforced was not checked. The RTB itself says pest control requirements fall under municipal by-laws or The Public Health Act and may vary from one municipality to another. It names a City of Winnipeg by-law, which applies only in Winnipeg. The text of that by-law was not reviewed, so check your own municipality.

Repair duties more broadly are covered in the Manitoba repairs and maintenance guide.

The RTB guidebook says a tenant generally must keep the unit reasonably clean and uncluttered, tell the landlord about a pest problem so it can be dealt with before it spreads, allow entry for extermination and follow the preparation instructions, such as emptying closets or cupboards and moving furniture.

The fact sheet says landlords should give written directions on how to prepare for treatment, with enough notice to do it. It also notes that tenants who need help, such as elderly tenants or those with special needs, may need support. The sources reviewed do not set a number of days a tenant has to prepare, or a time limit for you to start treatment. Choose a reasonable date and write it down.

Use plain, itemized instructions and give them with the entry notice. A tenant who cannot lift furniture, for example, has a better case if your records show you were told and did nothing.

1. Give written notice of entry. Section 54 requires the notice to state the purpose and reasonable times, given not less than 24 hours and not more than two weeks before. The RTB fact sheet says the same. No prescribed form was found for the entry notice.
2. Notify neighbouring units. Other units can be inspected after 24 hours written notice to those tenants (from the Residential Tenancies Branch bed bug fact sheet; the general entry-notice rule is s. 54(3)(b)).
3. Attach the preparation instructions and say who the exterminator is.
4. Keep proof of delivery and the treatment invoice.

If the tenant and landlord cannot agree, the Branch may refer them to the local Environmental Health Office, or issue an order allowing the landlord to enter to exterminate (RTB guidebook on pest control). Entry rules in general are in the Manitoba landlord entry guide and when a landlord may enter.

The RTB fact sheet says that when a tenant refuses to co-operate, the landlord may refuse to treat, may give notice to end the tenancy and may file a claim against the tenant for costs, and that the Branch decides at a hearing. A notice for cause is Form 10 (see the Manitoba guide on filthy or damaged units for how that process runs). The fact sheet does not name the section of the Act for the notice, so read the current Act or ask the Branch before serving one.

The practical order is: written preparation instructions, a proper entry notice, a second notice if access fails, then a Branch order for entry or a claim. Keep each step dated. A landlord who skips straight to ending the tenancy invites a finding that the tenant was never properly told what to do.

The RTB fact sheet says a tenant may claim compensation for belongings that had to be thrown out, but must prove the landlord was negligent, meaning the landlord did not treat the bugs, and that this caused a loss. It also directs tenants to a provincial bed bug contact and says a by-law officer or public health inspector will be told. The contact details on that sheet are old and are not repeated here.

Slow or half-done treatment is where landlords lose claims. Treat each complaint as a record: date received, date inspected, date treated, date followed up.

The sources reviewed do not state a time limit for starting treatment, a set number of days for the tenant to prepare, or whether the Provincial Bed Bug Call Centre named in the older fact sheet still operates. The text of The Public Health Act s. 20 and of the Winnipeg by-law was not reviewed. The Act page on Manitoba Laws said, when it was reviewed on November 4, 2026, that it does not include amendments enacted or coming into force on or after October 29, 2026, and it points to a further amending act, SM 2026, c. 49, that was not opened for this guide. Check the current consolidation before you rely on a section number.

For disputes, see the guide to Branch complaints.

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