Does insurance pay for pest control for bed bugs or rats?
In short
Standard contents insurance does not pay for pest control, because pests are not one of its insured perils. For rats, an assistance add-on can help; in one set of terms it pays up to 1,000 euros per case, but it does not list bed bugs. In a rented flat the landlord often pays, as an infestation is a defect. Expect several hundred euros for bed bugs.
What pest control costs in Germany and where insurance stops.
Example
Typical range
Bed bugs in a flat, several treatments
several hundred euros, over 1,000 euros in large flats
Rats in the cellar, bait boxes and two checks
about 200 to 500 euros
Cockroaches in the kitchen
about 150 to 400 euros
Assistance add-on, pest control benefit in the terms
up to 1,000 euros per case
Lower bound for bed bugs from a consumer test, add-on limit from one insurer's terms,
September 2026.
Prices for rats and cockroaches are guide values from our quoting practice, October 2026.
Worked example
Bed bugs after a holiday
After a trip, a couple notice bites and find bed bugs in the bedroom of their rented flat. The specialist firm needs three visits.
Pest control, three treatments
about 800 euros
Contents insurance
0 euros
Add-on without bed bugs on the list
0 euros
Landlord, if no fault can be proven
bears the treatment
Insurance does not help here. What matters is reporting the infestation to the landlord in writing straight away.
Why contents insurance does not pay for pest control
Contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) covers damage from named perils such as fire, burglary, escaping water, storm and hail. An infestation with bed bugs or rats is not one of them. So it pays neither for pest control nor for a mattress you have to throw away because of bed bugs.
Cables or food chewed by rats are not covered by basic contents insurance either. Only the person responsible or an add-on in the policy can help.
What an assistance add-on covers for pest control
Some contents policies offer a home assistance add-on (Schutzbrief). In one set of terms from September 2026, the insurer arranges and pays a specialist firm if cockroaches, rats, mice, moths, ants or silverfish infest the home, up to 1,000 euros per case. The infestation must have started after the policy began.
Bed bugs are not on that list. If you want cover for bed bugs, read the list in your own add-on and ask if in doubt.
Pest
Who pays for pest control
Bed bugs in a rented flat
landlord, unless he proves you were at fault
Bed bugs in your own flat
you, add-on only if listed
Rats in the building
owner; with an add-on often up to the limit
Cockroaches, mice, moths
assistance add-on, otherwise owner or landlord
Wasp nest
separate add-on, see our wasp nest page
Rented flat: the landlord comes first
Under section 535 of the German Civil Code (BGB), the landlord must keep the flat in a usable condition. Bed bugs, cockroaches or rats make it defective. While the defect lasts, you may reduce the rent under section 536 BGB.
The landlord may argue that you brought the bed bugs in. He then has to prove fault on your part. The Stuttgart local court ruled in 2021 that a tenant who unknowingly brings bugs back from a trip is not at fault (35 C 5509/19).
Rats: when the authorities step in
Rats count as health pests. If there is a risk that they spread disease, the competent authority orders pest control under section 17 of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). Who pays for ordered rat control is set by state law and local rules.
Report rats early to your landlord or property manager, and in your own house to the town if the local authority requires it.
When you do not need the add-on
If you rent, the landlord is responsible for bed bugs, cockroaches and rats. An add-on for pest control then brings you little.
For owners of houses next to fields, water or a compost heap it can be worthwhile, because mice and rats turn up there more often.
Step by step
Photograph the infestation, for bed bugs also insects or droppings on the bed.
In a rented flat, inform the landlord in writing immediately and set a deadline.
With an add-on, call the insurer's service line first.
Use a specialist firm only, do not experiment with DIY products.
Attend follow-up checks and keep all invoices.
Checklist
Does your add-on list the pests it covers?
Are bed bugs named explicitly?
What is the limit per case?
Is only an infestation after the start of the policy covered?
Has the landlord been informed in writing?
Common mistakes
Hiring pest control yourself without telling the landlord
Assuming contents insurance pays for pests
Withholding the whole rent without advice
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does contents insurance pay for bed bugs?
No, neither the pest control nor furniture you throw away.
Pests are not an insured peril.
Who pays for bed bugs in a hotel?
That is a travel defect.
Raise it with the host or tour operator first and document the infestation.
Can my landlord make me pay for bed bugs?
Only if he proves you were at fault.
Bringing them in unknowingly is not enough according to the Stuttgart ruling.
Does buildings insurance pay for rat control?
Not under basic cover; pests are not an insured peril there either.
Help only comes from an add-on that names rats.
Do I have to report rats?
Always to the landlord.
Whether you must tell the town depends on local rules.
Is there separate insurance against pests?
For private households usually only as an add-on to contents or buildings insurance.
