Pest Control in NYC: What Homeowners Need to Know

Start here: how ServHom is different

Most ways to find an exterminator either push your details to a list of companies or rank whoever pays for placement. ServHom does neither. We surface licensed pest control operators and never let anyone pay to rank higher.

Use this guide to understand your rights and hire safely, then compare local pros and what people paid using the links throughout.

Licensing: what to verify

New York regulates this more precisely than a single "pest control license." A pesticide business must register with the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to offer, advertise, or make pesticide applications for hire. The person actually treating your home is certified as one of a few distinct roles: a Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator can use or supervise the use of pesticides; a Certified Commercial Pesticide Technician can apply general-use pesticides without supervision, or restricted-use pesticides only under an applicator's direct supervision; and a Commercial Pesticide Apprentice is uncertified and must always work under an applicator's direct supervision. The technician on your job does not have to personally be the certified applicator; ask which role they hold and whether supervision applies.

• How to verify: NYSDEC's public database (NYSPAD, the New York State Pesticide Administration Database) lets you look up business registrations, applicators, and technicians. Ask the company for their business registration and the technician's certification, and confirm both before any chemicals are applied in your home.
• Insurance: general liability coverage is standard for reputable companies. Ask for a certificate before treatment.
• Be wary of: a company that cannot provide its NYSDEC business registration, cannot say which certification the technician on-site holds, or will not confirm what products they are using.

Landlord vs tenant responsibility in NYC

This is the most common source of confusion in NYC pest situations. The short version: if you rent, your landlord is generally responsible, though the details depend on the housing type and where the pest is actually coming from.

• Landlords must keep rental apartments free from pests under NYC Housing Maintenance Code. This includes cockroaches, mice, rats, and bedbugs.
• If you have a pest problem, notify your landlord or managing agent in writing and keep a copy. There is no fixed number of days a tenant must wait before contacting HPD; if the landlord is not acting, you can file a complaint.
• HPD treats mice, cockroaches, and rats as immediately hazardous Class C conditions. Once HPD issues a violation, the owner generally has 21 days to correct it before civil penalties can be sought in Housing Court, a real deadline for the owner, not a waiting period imposed on you.
• Condo owners are generally responsible for pest control inside their own unit, with common areas handled by the building. Co-op shareholders should check their proprietary lease, since governing documents can assign responsibility differently. In either case, if the source appears to be a shared wall, plumbing chase, or common area, that becomes a building-level issue, not just yours.

Why treating only your apartment may not always work

In NYC apartment buildings, pests do not necessarily stay inside one unit. Cockroaches and rodents can travel through wall openings, plumbing penetrations, and other shared infrastructure, which is why a single treatment sometimes does not fully solve the problem. If pests keep coming back, ask the exterminator to identify the likely source rather than simply repeating the same treatment, and if you rent, tell your landlord or managing agent, since the underlying condition may involve another apartment or a common area. A thorough plan often includes sealing entry points and follow-up visits, not just one round of product in the room where you saw the pest.

Bedbugs in NYC: special rules

Bedbugs are common enough in NYC that they have their own legal framework.

• Bedbug Disclosure Law: NYC landlords must disclose the bedbug infestation history of a unit and the building for the prior year before a new tenancy begins.
• Annual Bed Bug Report: under Local Law 69 of 2017, owners of covered multiple dwellings must file an Annual Bed Bug Report with HPD every December, covering the prior November-through-October period. HPD makes that filing publicly searchable on HPDONLINE, so if you are worried about a recurring problem, you can look up the building's reported history yourself.
• Treatment responsibility: landlords are responsible for bedbug treatment in rental units in most cases. If your landlord refuses, HPD complaints and Housing Court are the escalation paths.
• Treatment methods: heat treatment can eliminate an infestation in a single visit when properly performed, but it is not automatically the right call for every apartment, and no method should be sold as a guaranteed one-visit fix. Chemical treatment is usually cheaper per visit but needs several rounds over weeks. Ask what preparation is required, what happens if live bedbugs are found afterward, and confirm the method and re-treatment policy in writing before signing anything.

What pest control costs in NYC

Costs vary significantly by pest type, severity, and treatment method. Treat these as planning ranges based on current market pricing, not fixed quotes or ServHom's own transaction data.

• Cockroaches: commonly $150 to $450 for a minor, single-visit treatment, $450 to $900 for a moderate infestation needing 2 to 3 visits, and $900 to $2,500 or more for a severe or building-wide infestation. See the dedicated cockroach extermination cost guide, which also covers why treating just one unit often is not enough.
• Mice and rats: a single-visit treatment is often a few hundred dollars; ongoing exclusion work (sealing entry points) can add to that but is often what actually stops the problem from recurring.
• Bedbugs: commonly $1,000 to $4,000, averaging around $2,500, when someone is paying out of pocket. Heat treatment costs more per visit but often resolves in one visit; chemical treatment is cheaper per visit but needs several rounds. See the dedicated bed bug treatment guide for the full breakdown of who typically pays.
• Recurring or quarterly plans: often priced separately from a one-time visit, and can be cheaper per treatment for ongoing prevention.

What happens during a pest control visit

• Inspection: the technician identifies the pest and looks for signs of an infestation.
• Source identification: checking likely entry points, food or water sources, and conditions that could be supporting the infestation.
• Treatment: depending on the pest, this may involve traps, bait, targeted pesticide application, monitoring devices, or heat treatment.
• Exclusion: for rodents especially, sealing entry points can matter as much as the initial treatment.
• Follow-up: many infestations need more than one visit. Ask before hiring how follow-up is handled and whether it is included in the quoted price.

Questions to ask before hiring

• What is your NYSDEC business registration, and what certification does the technician on-site hold?
• What pest are you treating, and what product or method will you use?
• How many visits are included, and is follow-up part of the price?
• What preparation do I need to do before you arrive?
• Is there a warranty or re-treatment policy if the problem is not resolved?
• Will you identify and seal entry points, or only apply product where I saw the pest?

Red flags when hiring a pest control company

• Refuses to provide its NYSDEC business registration or the technician's certification.
• Won't identify the pesticide or treatment method being used.
• Promises bedbugs will definitely be eliminated in one visit with no caveats.
• Quotes a price without asking what pest you have or inspecting the affected area.
• Pressures you to sign a long contract immediately.
• Cannot explain the follow-up or warranty policy.
• Refuses to provide written pricing or a written scope of work.

Pest control services by borough

Response times and pricing differ across NYC. The listings below pull real, verified NYC pest control companies so you can compare who is actually available near you.

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