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Sacramento, CA Public Health Rules: Bed-Bug Rules (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

State Law
Civ Code 1954.600-605
Disclosure
Required at lease signing
Treatment
Licensed PCO required
Effective
January 1 2018

Summary

California Civil Code 1954.603 requires landlords to provide tenants with bed bug information and disclose known infestations. Sacramento landlords must address bed bugs as a habitability issue under city housing standards and state law.

1954.603. On and after July 1, 2017, prior to creating a new tenancy for a dwelling unit, a landlord shall provide a written notice to the prospective tenant as provided in this section. This notice shall be provided to all other tenants by January 1, 2018. The notice shall be in at least 10-point type and shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) General information about bed bug identification, behavior and biology, the importance of cooperation for prevention and treatment, and the importance of and for prompt written reporting of suspected infestations to the landlord. The information shall be in substantially the following form: Information about Bed Bugs Bed bug Appearance: Bed bugs have six legs. Adult bed bugs have flat bodies about 1 / 4 of an inch in length. Their color can vary from red and brown to copper colored. Young bed bugs are very small. Their bodies are about 1 / 16 of an inch in length. They have almost no color. When a bed bug feeds, its body swells, may lengthen, and becomes bright red, sometimes making it appear to be a different insect. Bed bugs do not fly. They can either crawl or be carried from place to place on objects, people, or animals. Bed bugs can be hard to find and identify because they are tiny and try to stay hidden. Life Cycle and Reproduction: An average bed bug lives for about 10 months. Female bed bugs lay one to five eggs per day. Bed bugs grow to full adulthood in about 21 days. Bed bugs can survive for months without feeding. Bed bug Bites: Because bed bugs usually feed at night, most people are bitten in t

Source: California Civil Code 1954.603View official code

Full Breakdown

California enacted statewide bed bug rules effective 2018 (Civil Code 1954.600 through 1954.605). Landlords must give every new tenant a written bed bug notice and notify existing tenants when units are inspected. Owners cannot show, rent, or lease a unit they know has an active infestation. After confirmed infestation, landlords must hire a pest control operator and notify treated and adjacent residents of findings within stated timeframes. Sacramento Code Enforcement treats unaddressed infestations as substandard housing under Title 8 and Title 17 housing standards, allowing inspection orders and abatement.

Violations & Fines

Renting a known-infested unit, failing to provide the disclosure, or refusing to treat after confirmed infestation can lead to state penalties, code citations, and tenant rent withholding remedies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a landlord charge me for treatment?
Generally no. Treatment is the landlord's habitability responsibility unless the lease and facts clearly establish tenant-caused infestation, which is hard to prove.
Must neighbors be told about an infestation?
Yes. After confirmation, the landlord must notify residents of treated units and, for common-area or building-wide cases, all units in the affected building.

Sources & Official References

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