Cal. Civ. Code § 235-J
Duty to inform of bed bug infestation
Operative Text
§ 235-j. Duty to inform of bed bug infestation. 1. Upon having knowledge of a bed bug infestation in a unit of a residential rental premises, the landlord or lessor of a residential rental premises shall provide written notice of such infestation to the landlord's tenants and lessees who reside in units on the premises immediately above, immediately below, and immediately adjacent to the infested unit. Such written notice shall be provided to such tenants and lessees within seventy-two hours of the landlord or lessor having knowledge of the bed bug infestation. 2. Upon having knowledge of a bed bug infestation in a common area of a residential rental premises, the landlord or lessor of the residential rental premises shall place notice of such infestation in a conspicuous location accessible to all tenants and lessees residing in the premises within seventy-two hours of the landlord or lessor having knowledge of the bed bug infestation. 3. Any notice required to be provided pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall not identify the infested unit or contain any personally identifying information of the tenant or tenants whose unit experienced the bed bug infestation. 4. Subdivisions one and two of this section shall not apply to a landlord or lessor that is subject to notice and remediation obligations related to bed bug infestations pursuant to a judicial order, legal settlement, or binding agreement with a federal, state, or local regulatory entity while such judicial order, legal settlement, or binding agreement is in effect.
Under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-J, once a landlord learns of a bed bug infestation in a residential unit, they must deliver written notice to tenants in the units directly above, below, and beside the affected unit within 72 hours. If the infestation is in a common area, a notice must be posted in a conspicuous, accessible location within the same 72-hour window. Importantly, any unit-specific notice must not identify which unit is infested or include any personally identifying information about the affected tenant. Landlords already operating under a court order, legal settlement, or binding regulatory agreement covering bed bug notice and remediation are exempt from these requirements while that obligation remains in effect.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Compliant operators under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-J generally maintain a clear internal process for documenting when they first gain knowledge of a bed bug infestation, since the 72-hour clock for written notification begins at that moment. For unit-based infestations, operators deliver written notice to the immediately adjacent, above, and below units while carefully omitting any reference to the specific infested unit or the affected tenant's identity. For common-area infestations, operators post a visible notice in a location accessible to all residents on the premises, and those already bound by a qualifying judicial order, settlement, or regulatory agreement should confirm whether that instrument satisfies the § 235-J obligations during its effective period.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-J gives tenants in units neighboring an infested unit the right to receive written notice of a bed bug infestation within 72 hours of the landlord's knowledge, and tenants in a building with a common-area infestation are entitled to a conspicuous posted notice within the same timeframe. If a landlord fails to provide the required notice, a tenant may be able to raise that failure as a violation in a housing court proceeding or file a complaint with a local housing or code-enforcement agency. Tenants who believe their rights under § 235-J have not been honored may also find it useful to contact a local tenant-rights organization for general information about available remedies.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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