Shared kitchens, high tenant turnover and communal spaces make HMOs and student housing some of the hardest properties to keep pest-free, and infestations spread fast between rooms. JG Pest Control provides scheduled commercial pest control contracts for HMOs and student accommodation across the UK, with same-day emergency callouts and cover every day of the year except Christmas Day, from early morning until late.
The pests that target HMOs and student accommodation
Shared living drives most of the risk, with communal kitchens and turnover at the heart of it. The main pests are:
- Mice - the number-one HMO pest, moving freely through shared voids and kitchens.
- Bed bugs - they spread between rooms with tenant turnover and second-hand furniture.
- Cockroaches - they colonise shared kitchens and warm voids.
- Ants - they trail into communal kitchens in summer.
- Flies - a hygiene issue around shared bins and kitchens.
Licensing and housing standards
HMO landlords and managers have duties to keep shared housing in good order, and in England and Wales pests are one of the hazards councils assess under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Our contracts cover the communal areas where problems start and give you written records of every visit.
What a JG maintenance contract includes
- Scheduled preventative visits, on a frequency matched to your site’s risk
- Tamper-proof monitoring stations, insect monitors and proofing checks at every visit
- Audit-ready reports and recommendations after each visit, ready for your inspectors
- Emergency call-outs between scheduled visits
- A named, RSPH (BPCA) Level 2 certified technician who gets to know your site
- Cover every day except Christmas Day, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays
Why shared housing needs a different approach
In a house in multiple occupation, one tenant’s problem quickly becomes everyone’s. Shared kitchens, communal bins, frequent tenant changes and rooms that sit empty between lets all give pests the chance to settle in and spread. Treating one room on its own rarely works: the building has to be looked at as a whole.
Shared kitchens
Food left out and crumbs in shared cupboards attract mice and cockroaches. We treat and proof the kitchen and advise on simple house rules.
Communal bins
Overflowing or damaged bins draw rats and flies to the property. Bin areas are often the first place we look.
Tenant turnover
New tenants bring belongings from elsewhere, which is how bed bugs arrive. Checks between lets catch problems early.
Voids and empty rooms
Empty rooms and loft spaces are quiet places for pests to settle. We include them in inspections, not just occupied rooms.
Landlord and tenant responsibilities
In England and Wales, pests are one of the hazards assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and HMO landlords and managers have duties to keep shared housing in good order. Who pays for treatment can depend on the tenancy and the cause, but in shared parts of the building it usually falls to the landlord or managing agent. We give you written reports of what we found and what we did, which help if questions are raised later. For bed bugs, see bed bug control for hostels, student halls and HMOs, and for wider rental work see landlord pest control.
Bed bugs in shared housing: what our records show
These figures come from booked bed bug jobs for JG Pest Control and its group brands, October 2025 to September 2026. Our job records do not record the type of building, so we found these jobs by searching names and addresses and checking each match by hand. Each figure is a minimum (at least), not a total.
At least 36 student accommodation jobs
Booked bed bug jobs at student accommodation and halls, across about 23 buildings.
At least 32 HMO jobs
Booked bed bug jobs at HMOs. This is a low minimum, because a job is only counted when the booking itself says HMO.
One example, by area only: student halls in Edinburgh, where we heat treated three rooms, then returned to heat treat five. For bed bugs in shared buildings, see bed bug control for hostels, student halls and HMOs.
Why HMOs and student accommodation across the UK choose JG Pest Control
We have protected commercial premises since 2010, giving us more than 15 years of hands-on experience with the pressures HMOs and student accommodation face. Our technicians are RSPH (BPCA) Level 2 certified, we work discreetly around your customers and staff, and we are rated 4.7 out of 5 from more than 28,000 Trustpilot reviews, with more five-star Trustpilot reviews than any other UK pest control specialist. We coordinate access around busy shared households and handle the regular turnover that drives infestations.
Get free, no-obligation advice
To set up a pest control contract for your property, get in touch or use the enquiry form on this page. We will survey your premises, identify the risks specific to your site, and recommend a visit schedule with no obligation.
Bed bugs in shared housing? See bed bug control for hostels, student halls and HMOs.
Frequently asked questions
In shared parts of an HMO it usually falls to the landlord or managing agent. Responsibility inside a tenant’s own room can depend on the tenancy and the cause, so check your agreements.
We inspect the room where the problem was reported and the shared areas around it, because pests in shared housing rarely stay in one room.
Yes. Checks between lets are one of the best ways to catch bed bugs and rodents before a new tenant moves in.