How to report and treat bedbugs in council properties

About bedbugs

Bedbugs are a common household pest and will live anywhere they can feed. 

Read the British Association of Dermatologists' useful information leaflet Bedbugs and managing bedbug infestations.

Report bedbugs in a council home

Contact the Council Housing Repairs Helpdesk to report bedbugs.

All treatments are free of charge to Brighton & Hove City Council Tenants and Leaseholders.

Our contractor can also provide a free testing monitor, which you can use after the treatment has run its course which takes 3 weeks.

The sooner your home is treated the more likely the treatment will work the first time, and reduce the risk of the bedbugs spreading to nearby rooms, or other homes.

How to prepare for the treatment

Before your home is treated:

• remove all bed covers, sheets and blankets from the beds
• machine wash all clothing and soft items like soft toys and blankets on the hottest wash possible - check labels before washing, as some fabrics can get damaged when washed at high temperatures
• clear all items from under and around beds
• thoroughly vacuum, empty the vacuum into a bag and seal the bag shut to prevent any bedbugs from getting out

What to do with your belongings

We recommend that you do not throw away any of your belongings. Most items can be successfully treated, and throwing things away can spread the bedbugs.

If any items do need to be thrown away, you must bag them up and seal the bag shut before putting it in your regular household waste.

It’s important that you do not give away items, donate any items to charity, or leave them in communal areas. This will increase the risk of the bedbugs spreading into other homes.

You can contact the Council Housing Repairs Helpdesk to discuss throwing items away.

The treatment

When you report bedbugs, we'll arrange for our pest control contractor to contact you within 3 working days and they'll arrange to visit you as soon as possible.

Once they've decided which areas need treatment, our contractor will:

• spray around the seams of the mattress and headboards or chairs that need treating
• treat underneath bedside tables and any furniture close to the sleeping area
• spray all around the bed, underneath the bed and inside the fabric of the bed, if necessary
• spray floor surfaces and skirtings
• once the direct treatment is complete they may need to spray fine mist over the rest of the room

The treatment takes an average of 30 minutes, plus about 3 hours to settle and dry depending on the size of the rooms being treated.

If you have any specific requirements when allowing people into your home, our Repairs Team can make sure that our contractor is aware before they visit.

Safety advice

Bedbug treatment uses chemical insecticide. Doors to treated rooms need to remain closed for a minimum of 3 hours following the treatment. This allows the chemicals to properly dry.

If the rooms cannot be sealed by shutting a door, you will need to leave your home until the treatment has settled and dried.

It is safe to return to the treated area once the chemicals have fully dried.

Our pest control contractors will provide an information leaflet about their service and the chemicals they use on their visit.

If you have any concerns about temporarily leaving your home while it is being treated, our Repairs Team can support you.

Guidance for after the treatment

Continue to use treated areas as normal. Bedbugs hide deep in furniture and fabrics, so using them will help draw the bedbugs out and keep them in one place. This makes the treatment more effective and stops the bedbugs from spreading.

It is important not to vacuum for a minimum of 3 weeks, as this will risk removing the treatment product.

After 3 weeks you can use the testing monitor to see if any more bedbugs appear. Alternatively our repairs team can arrange for the property to be inspected again.

Bedbugs can be persistent, so if the treatment isn't successful, we can arrange another one free of charge.

Improving our service

Feedback is important, and it can help improve our services.

We always strive to get things right first time. However, if you feel that something hasn’t gone right, or that our bedbug treatment could be improved, please get in touch with our Repairs Customer Service Team to discuss any concerns.