Richmond, VA Public Health Rules: Bed-Bug Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Declared nuisance
- Bed bug infestation, listed with other vermin
- Who's liable
- Any owner or occupant who permits it
- Criminal penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor per continuing day
- Enforcers
- Police, fire marshal, fire inspector, or CAO designee
- No city abatement
- Sec. 11-108 abatement doesn't cover Sec. 11-106
Summary
Richmond's nuisance ordinance names bed bug infestation, alongside rats, roaches, fleas, and other vermin, as a declared nuisance condition. Anyone who owns or occupies property in the City is barred from letting a bed bug infestation exist there, and violations that continue after a notice are punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor, enforced by police, fire, or a designated City employee.
(a)The following conditions, when allowed to exist on property, are hereby declared to be nuisances:(1)Infestation by bats, rodents, insects, arachnids, or vermin, including, but not limited to, rats, mice, bees, flies, fleas, cockroaches, bed bugs, spiders, ants, silverfish, termites, and powder-post beetles;(2)Accumulation of animals, including, but not limited to, dogs and cats; fowl; and other birds in a manner that creates conditions which are unsanitary or injurious or threatens the health or safety of the public;(3)Trees or parts thereof in danger of falling onto buildings, structures, vehicles or any public right-of-way;(4)Garbage, as defined by Section 23-1, which is not contained in a watertight container with a lid that conforms to the requirements of Section 15-66;(5)Accumulation of stagnant water leading to the breeding of mosquitoes;(6)Vehicle tires that have been removed from the rim; and(7)Any other condition that threatens the health or safety of the public.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or occupies property within the City to permit a nuisance as set forth in Subsection (a) of this section to exist on such property. (Code 2004, § 38-154.1; Code 2015, § 11-106; Code 2020, § 11-106; Ord. No. 2012-209-209, § 1, 12-10-2012)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
Richmond City Code Sec. 11-106 declares a list of conditions to be unlawful nuisances when allowed to exist on property, and infestation by bed bugs is named specifically alongside bats, rodents, rats, mice, bees, flies, fleas, cockroaches, spiders, ants, silverfish, termites, and powder-post beetles under Subsection (a)(1). Subsection (b) then makes it unlawful for anyone who owns or occupies property in the City to permit any of the listed nuisances, bed bugs included, to exist there. The section groups bed bugs with other nuisance conditions such as garbage not kept in a watertight, lidded container per Section 15-66, accumulations of animals or fowl that create unsanitary or unsafe conditions, dangerous trees, stagnant water that breeds mosquitoes, and loose vehicle tires.
Unlike the weed and trash-accumulation provisions in the same article, a bed bug nuisance under Sec. 11-106 is not listed among the sections eligible for the City's direct abatement remedy in Sec. 11-108 or the judicially ordered remediation in Sec. 11-107(b); those apply only to Sections 11-102, 11-103, and 11-105. What does reach a Sec. 11-106 nuisance is enforcement authority: Sec. 11-107(c) lets any law enforcement officer, fire marshal, fire inspector, sworn special police officer, or City employee designated by the Chief Administrative Officer enforce all sections of the article, and Sec.
11-107(a) makes each day a Sec. 11-106 violation continues after an initial notice a separate offense, punishable on conviction as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The ordinance does not impose a separate landlord disclosure duty or a fixed extermination deadline beyond that misdemeanor exposure.
Violations & Fines
Permitting a bed bug infestation to exist is a nuisance under Sec. 11-106(b), enforceable by police officers, fire marshals, fire inspectors, or a City employee the Chief Administrative Officer designates. Each day the infestation continues after an initial notice is a separate offense, and conviction is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor under Sec. 11-107(a). The ordinance doesn't set a separate civil fine schedule or abatement fee for this section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is having bed bugs in my Richmond rental actually against the law?
Can the City fine me for a bed bug problem?
Does the City ever step in and treat a bed bug infestation itself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richmond
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