Usually the landlord, and the reason is that cockroaches almost always mean a structural route, a leak, or something that predates the tenancy.
Normally the landlord, particularly where a leak, a structural route between flats, or a pre-existing infestation is involved — which covers most cases.
Report it in writing the day you find it, with dated photographs, and ask for a professional inspection rather than a shop-bought spray.
'Keep it cleaner' is not a response to a cockroach report. It is what gets said when nobody has looked behind the fridge.
£190 for a flat, £240 for a house, follow-ups included. Send a photo first.
View Cockroach Control Rayners Lane →| Response | Why it is wrong |
|---|---|
| 'Keep the kitchen cleaner' | Cockroaches are carried in, not caused by cleaning |
| A can of spray posted through the door | Scatters them deeper and makes treatment harder |
| A bug bomb | Does not reach harbourage; contaminates food surfaces |
| 'Wait and see if it gets worse' | It will, and the egg-case cycle guarantees it |
| One treatment visit only | Egg cases hatch afterwards; follow-ups are needed |
| Being asked to pay for a leak repair | Repairs are the landlord's |
Where the infestation predates the tenancy or arises from a leak or structural route, it is not reasonable. Keep the evidence.
Then it is a building matter for the freeholder or managing agent to coordinate.
Dated evidence from check-in is what protects you. Photograph on day one.
Wasps at a rented property? £90 fixed cost in Rayners Lane, guaranteed for 30 days.
Normally the landlord, particularly where a leak, a structural route between flats, or a pre-existing infestation is involved — which covers most cases.
Cockroaches are carried in rather than caused by cleaning, and a spotless flat is as vulnerable as any other. 'Keep it cleaner' is not a response to a cockroach report.
In writing the same day, with dated photographs of the insects, droppings and any egg cases, and ask for a professional inspection in those words.
Egg cases survive a void period and hatch once the flat is warm and occupied again, so they surface in week two of a tenancy.
A can of spray posted through the door, a bug bomb, 'wait and see', a single visit with no follow-up, or being asked to pay for a leak repair.
Respond quickly, send a professional rather than a spray, fix the leak, and ask for a photograph first because it is frequently not cockroaches.
Follow up in writing referring to the original date, give a reasonable deadline, and contact your council's environmental health team.
Dated evidence from check-in is what protects you, so photograph on day one.
Report it in writing today with dated photographs, and ask for an inspection rather than a spray.
Prefer to talk? Call 0203 151 6640 or WhatsApp us.
