BedBugWizard

Bed Bugs in Washington, DC

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Washington is a city of renters, and a large share of them live in rowhouses divided into apartments, English basement units, and mid-century apartment buildings. It is also a place with constant arrivals and departures: interns, government staff, military members, students and business travelers. Both facts matter when bed bugs turn up.

Rowhouses and English basements

Many DC rowhouses have party walls on both sides and have been converted to two or three units. An English basement apartment sits partly below grade, below another household, and it often shares a laundry and utility area. Bed bugs in one unit can reach the others through the shared structure, so a basement apartment is rarely an isolated problem. If you live in one, inspect carefully for signs in the shared laundry and storage areas too, and ask for the upstairs unit to be checked.

Condos, co-ops and apartment buildings

In larger buildings, the building's management usually controls which pest control vendor can treat which units, and may coordinate treatment of surrounding apartments. In a condo or co-op, owners and the board often share responsibility, and the governing documents can say who pays. Read those documents or ask management before hiring a company on your own.

Steps if you find bed bugs

  • Keep a dated record: photos, a sealed specimen, and notes on where and when you saw signs.
  • Report in writing to your landlord or management company. Email works well because it leaves a timestamp.
  • Avoid moving between your home and a friend's or short-term rental while untreated. That carries the problem with you.
  • If you travel for work, keep luggage zipped and off beds, and heat-dry travel clothes when you get back.

What to ask a local exterminator

  • Are you licensed to do pest control work in the District of Columbia?
  • Will you inspect the units above, below and on either side of mine?
  • How do you treat the shared laundry and basement spaces?
  • What do you need from management for access, and what notice do they have to give?

Official resources

The District's Office of the Tenant Advocate provides information and assistance to tenants in DC. It is a good place to learn what your landlord's duties are and how to raise a housing condition complaint. We are not a legal service and cannot give legal advice.

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