Does Newcastle City Council deal with bed bugs?

In some English cities the council will come and treat bed bugs for a set fee. Newcastle is different, and it catches people out. This guide sets out what the council’s own pest control page says, what that means for you depending on who owns your home, and what to do next. It is based on the council page as we read it on 28 October 2026; check it yourself before deciding, because council services change.

What the council page says

Newcastle City Council has a pest control page listing the pests it deals with and the charges. For most insects, such as wasps, fleas, beetles, flies, mites and silverfish, it shows a price of £68.40.

Bed bugs are listed differently. Instead of a price, the entry says “to be agreed with YHN”, and is marked as being for YHN only. YHN is Your Homes Newcastle, the organisation that has managed the council’s own housing. In plain terms, the council deals with bed bugs in council homes through its housing service, and does not offer a bed bug treatment you can book as a private resident.

If you rent from the council

You have a route that other households do not.

1. Report it to your housing office in the usual way you report a repair, and say clearly that you think you have bed bugs.
2. Ask what happens next: who will inspect, how many visits, and what you need to do to prepare.
3. Do not throw out furniture before they visit, and keep any bug you catch in a sealed bag.

The council has been bringing the management of its homes back in-house, according to its housing transfer page, so the name on your letters and the reporting line may change. The principle stays the same: start with your housing service.

If you would rather pay a private firm, for example because you want it done sooner or want heat treatment, you can. It is worth telling your housing office first.

If you own your home

With no public bed bug service listed, owner-occupiers in Newcastle will usually need a private pest control firm. That gives you a choice of method:

• A spray and steam course, usually two or three visits about two weeks apart, which is the most common first treatment.
• Heat treatment, usually one long visit, which also kills eggs and suits sofas and divans where spray struggles.

Typical guide prices for both, by size of home, are on our price guide. They come from national cost guides, because none publishes a North East figure.

If you rent privately or are a student

Because the council does not list a service for private homes, treatment in a private let normally comes from a private firm. The open question is who arranges and pays for it.

That depends on your tenancy agreement and on how the bugs arrived. In a shared house or HMO it usually falls to the landlord, because one bedroom cannot be treated on its own. Shelter sets out the rules for tenants. In practice:

1. Tell your landlord or agent in writing, with the date and what you found.
2. Keep sleeping in your room so the bugs do not spread to the living room or a housemate.
3. Wash and tumble dry bedding and clothes hot, as the NHS suggests, and bag them.
4. If the landlord does not act, Shelter explains your next steps.

Students in halls or purpose-built blocks should report it to the building’s management. Our landlords and student lets page has more on shared houses in Jesmond, Heaton and Sandyford.

If you run a business

Hotels, guest houses, short lets, hostels and care settings are not covered by the council’s bed bug entry either, so they need a private firm. Most will also want a written report. See our page on commercial treatment.

Can the council help in other ways?

The council’s environmental health team deals with housing standards in private rented homes, so if a landlord refuses to deal with a serious problem it may be worth contacting them. Whether a bed bug problem meets the bar for action depends on the circumstances. We cannot advise on that; the council can.

Why this matters for cost

In cities where the council treats bed bugs, its fee is often the cheapest option for one household. In Newcastle, that comparison does not exist for most people. The realistic choice is between private firms, so it pays to compare like with like. Ask every firm the same questions: how many visits, which rooms, whether steam and a follow-up are included, and what happens if bites carry on.

The short version

• Council tenant: report it to your housing office first.
• Owner: you will need a private firm.
• Private renter or student: tell your landlord in writing; a private firm usually does the work.
• Business: private firm, with a written report.

Whichever applies, check with the council or your landlord before you pay. If you need a private firm, send us your postcode and what you have found. We look for one that covers your part of Newcastle and tell you who it is before passing anything on.