Yes. In a building with three or more apartments, keeping units free of pests is an owner obligation, and New York City's indoor allergen law makes it a proactive one. Owners are required to investigate annually, to investigate again when a resident reports a condition likely to cause a hazard or requests an inspection, and to remediate the hazard and the underlying defects.
What remediation legally means
The part more useful than the answer itself is what remediation legally means. NYC's rules require the owner to:
- Remove pest nests, waste and debris
- Seal holes, gaps and cracks in walls, floors, baseboards, around pipes and conduits, and in cabinets
- Fit door sweeps reducing gaps to no more than a quarter inch
- Repair drains, faucets and plumbing that leak or accumulate water
- Use a licensed professional for any pesticide
And, in the rules' own terms:
The use of pesticides must not substitute for the pest management measures described in this section.
28 RCNY §54-04(a)(4)HPD's guide for owners puts it more plainly still: use pesticides sparingly, and pesticide use cannot and does not replace the pest management practices listed above.
Use pesticides sparingly.
HPD — Indoor Allergen Hazards, Owner RequirementsWhat “responsible” does not mean
So “the landlord is responsible” does not mean “the landlord must send an exterminator.” The owner is responsible for correcting the covered pest condition and the underlying building defects, not merely for arranging a treatment visit. That is genuinely useful to know, because it tells you what to ask for.
Your part is real too
Reporting promptly and specifically, giving workable access, following preparation instructions, and mentioning leaks and openings are the inputs nobody else can supply. A building cannot seal an opening it does not know about or treat an apartment it cannot enter.
The most useful first step
The most useful first step is usually to give management something actionable rather than a complaint. Where you see them, how often, what changed, what is leaking, what is open, and a photo.
If you have reported the condition repeatedly and in writing and it still is not being addressed, NYC accepts apartment maintenance complaints through 311, and a record of what you reported and when is what makes that process work.
Pest control in an apartment building requires treatment, repairs, access and information working together. See how the pieces fit.
Send this to your building
If other apartments have the same problem, one message to your super or managing agent does more than ten calls about one unit. Copy this and send it however you already talk to them.
Edit it before you send if you want. No sign-up, nothing collected, and we do not see who you send it to.
Where this rule comes from
If you own or manage the building, the same rules are covered from that side in our NYC pest compliance reference.
Sources
- NYC Administrative Code — Housing Maintenance Code (PDF)
- 28 RCNY Chapter 54 — Indoor Allergen Hazards rules, including the §54-04(a) work practices (PDF)
- NYC Administrative Code §27-2017.8 — Integrated pest management practices
- HPD — Guide to Local Law 55 of 2018 Integrated Pest Management Practices for Mice, Roach and Rat Violations (PDF)
- HPD — Indoor Allergen Hazards (Mold, Mice, Roaches and Rats)
We are a pest control company working in Bronx and Brooklyn apartment buildings, and this is general information rather than advice about your apartment or your lease. Where our sources conflict with each other, we say so on the page rather than picking one quietly.