BedBugWizard

Bed Bugs in Miami

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Miami is dominated by condominium and apartment towers, with older low-rise buildings and single-family neighborhoods around them. It is also a major tourism and short-term rental market, and the weather never gets cold. Together those create a different bed bug picture from most of the other cities in this series.

Towers, condos and shared systems

In a high-rise, the bugs' routes are vertical and horizontal: shared walls, plumbing and electrical chases, service corridors, trash rooms and elevators. A single infested unit can affect those above, below and beside it. Condo associations often set rules about who may enter a unit, which contractors are approved and how pest work is billed, and some use a building-wide pest contract. Read the association rules, and report the problem to management and, if you own, the board, so neighboring units can be checked.

Short-term rentals and guests

Hotels and vacation rentals are one of the main ways bugs travel, and Miami has plenty of both. If you rent out a unit, inspect beds and sofas after each stay; if you stay in one, follow the steps in our hotel inspection guide. Many condo buildings restrict short-term rentals, and an unreported problem can create trouble for your neighbors as well as you.

A warm climate year-round

Indoor temperatures are comfortable for bed bugs all year, and humid weather does not slow them down. Don't wait for a "season" to pass. Act as soon as you confirm a sign.

What to do first

  • Save a specimen and photograph signs. Confirm before paying for a full treatment.
  • If you rent, report to your landlord in writing and keep records; in a condo, tell the management office too.
  • Bag and heat-dry fabrics, and keep clean items sealed away from the infested room.
  • Avoid moving between your unit and a friend's or short-term rental until you have dealt with it.

What to ask a local exterminator

  • Are you licensed in Florida to do pest control, and can you show the license?
  • Does the building already have a pest vendor or association rules I need to follow?
  • Will you inspect the units above, below and on each side?
  • What follow-up visits and guarantee are included?

Official resources

Florida's residential landlord and tenant law is in Part II of Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes, which sets out landlord duties for maintaining rentals, including provisions about extermination in many multi-unit buildings. Read the current text to see how it applies to your housing. This site cannot provide legal advice.

Related guides

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