Pest control in London: costs, council services and local pests

Quick answer: London has 32 borough councils plus the City of London, and each sets its own pest control rules. Of the 11 borough fee pages we read in September 2026, rat treatment ran from free (Tower Hamlets and Newham, inside homes) to £267.12 plus an £89.16 inspection (Southwark). Westminster and Greenwich treat only their own tenants and leaseholders.

How council pest control works in London

There is no London-wide pest service. Each of the 32 boroughs, and the City of London Corporation for the Square Mile, decides whether it treats pests at all, which pests it covers, who can book and what it charges. That is why the answer to “does the council do pest control?” depends on your postcode, not your city. GOV.UK’s “Report a pest problem” tool will tell you which council covers your address.

From the borough pages we read, London services fall into three broad models:

Paid service open to all residents, with benefit discounts. Haringey, Lewisham, Southwark and Wandsworth publish a standard fee and a concession fee, roughly half, for residents on qualifying benefits. Lewisham treats rats free on its concession rate. Hackney and Lambeth publish fixed fees without a listed concession.
Paid service with some free treatments. Tower Hamlets and Newham treat rats inside residents’ homes free but charge for most other pests. Newham council tenants also get mice and most insects treated free, funded from rent, and Camden treats its council tenants free for the common public health pests.
Tenants and leaseholders only. Westminster’s team works for council tenants and leaseholders, municipal buildings and parks. Its trading team is not taking on new private work and it points private residents to the British Pest Control Association (BPCA). Greenwich treats council tenants and leaseholders free for rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas, pharaoh ants and wasps, but says it cannot help homeowners.

London borough pest control fees: a sample of 11 boroughs

We read each borough’s own fee page in September 2026. Prices include VAT unless marked. Where a borough prices by bedroom or room, we show the range. The 21 boroughs we have not listed may charge quite differently, so treat this as a sample, not a price list for London.

Borough	Who can book	Rats	Mice	Wasps	Bed bugs	Cockroaches	Notes
Camden	Residents; free to council tenants for most pests	£177.60 (up to 2 visits)	£151.38–£204.90 by bedrooms	£86.75–£132 by bedrooms	From £283.52 (1 bedroom and lounge), plus £119.83 per extra bedroom	£193.65	£20 if an officer attends and no treatment is needed (rats, mice, wasps)
Greenwich	Council tenants and leaseholders only	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	No service for homeowners
Hackney	Residents and businesses	£186.26 (rats and mice, up to 3 visits)	£186.26	£102.48 per nest	£186.26 (1 visit, up to 3 rooms)	£167.59	£31 fee for cancelling with under 24 hours’ notice
Haringey	Residents; benefit concession	£191 (3 visits); concession £114.50	£191; concession £114.50	£99.65	£360 (up to 3 rooms)	£285	Prices as of 1 April 2025
Lambeth	Residents and businesses	£189.60 (2 visits plus bait box collection)	£189.60	Not listed on the prices page we read	£260.40 (up to 2 rooms)	£189.60 (1 visit, up to 2 rooms)	Premium next-day service £278.40
Lewisham	Residents; benefit concession	£150 (up to 3 visits); free on concession	£150; concession £75	£88; concession £78	£186; concession £93	£186; concession £93	Charges from 1 April 2026
Newham	Residents; council tenants free for most pests	Free inside residents’ homes	From £225 (excl. VAT)	From £60 (excl. VAT)	From £305 (excl. VAT)	From £195 (excl. VAT)	Council-owned company runs it
Southwark	Residents; council tenants free for most pests; benefit discount	£267.12 plus £89.16 inspection	£267.12 plus inspection	£89.16	Priced by category (biting insects £296.88)	Priced by category (insects £178.08)	Discounted rates roughly half
Tower Hamlets	Residents; some social tenants free	Free inside a home; outside by quote	£146.40	£81 per visit	£213.60 for 3 rooms, plus £73.80 per extra room	£146.40	–
Wandsworth	Residents; benefit and Access for All discount	£214 (2 visits plus bait box collection); discount £107	£214	£86	£237.91 (1 bedroom) to £428.24 (5 bedrooms)	£214 (3 treatments)	Prices from 1 April 2026
Westminster	Council tenants and leaseholders only	Covered by tenancy or service charge	Tenants and leaseholders only	Tenants and leaseholders only	Tenants and leaseholders only	Tenants and leaseholders only	Private residents referred to the BPCA

Rat fees for paying residents cluster between £150 and £214, with Southwark the outlier once its inspection is added. Bed bugs are priced by room or bedroom almost everywhere, so a larger home can double the cost.

How to book a borough service

Most boroughs take bookings online and payment up front. Camden contacts you within 10 working days and aims to visit within 3 days for rats and mice. Hackney books by phone on 020 8356 6688 and rat or mouse jobs can need 3 visits within 12 weeks. Wandsworth requires treatments to be completed within four months, and Haringey deducts a £25 administration fee from refunds. Newham bookings go through London Network for Pest Solutions on 020 8430 4133. Westminster and Greenwich tenants book through their housing service.

Local pest issues in London

Rats and the sewers. Thames Water says the public sewers under London’s roads and pavements are its responsibility, while the pipes inside your property boundary are yours. If a council or pest controller confirms rats are coming from a Thames Water sewer, it can investigate and repair the defect. Thames Water also notes rats can get in through a gap as small as 1.5cm. Our guide to rats in drains and sewers explains who deals with what.

Flats and blocks. Much of London lives in flats, and pests move between them. Lewisham runs block treatments: if your block is in a programme you cannot book an individual appointment until it ends, and if the pest is affecting neighbours you may need to go to your housing provider. Tower Hamlets publishes guidance on the proofing work landowners must do in their properties.

Private pest control costs in London

We have not found a reliable London-only price survey, so use the national ranges in our UK pest control costs guide: typically £120–£240 for a two-visit rat or mouse treatment and £75–£200 for a wasp nest (Checkatrade). Your borough’s published fee is a useful benchmark when you compare private quotes.

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Renting in London: who deals with pests?

In England, Shelter says your landlord must deal with an infestation that is caused by a repair they are responsible for, such as a broken air brick, a gap around a pipe or a rotten window frame, and must keep the home fit to live in throughout the tenancy. If pests were already there when you moved in, the landlord should sort it out. You could be responsible only if you did something to encourage them, for example leaving rubbish out.

Report the problem to your landlord in writing as soon as you notice it. If nothing happens, GOV.UK says you can contact the environmental health team at your council, which can carry out a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessment and must act if it finds serious hazards.

Greenwich puts it plainly for private tenants: the landlord must keep the property safe and free from health hazards, and that might include paying for pest control. If you rent from a borough, go through your housing service first, since several boroughs treat their own tenants free. More detail: pests in a rented home and how HHSRS enforcement works in England.

How to choose a pest controller

Unlike many US states, the UK has no public licence register for domestic pest controllers, so ask about training and memberships instead:

Trade bodies. The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) and the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) both have member directories. Ask which one, if any, the firm belongs to, and check the directory yourself.
Qualifications. Ask what pest management qualification the technician holds (for example the RSPH Level 2 award) and whether they are on the BASIS PROMPT register of trained professionals.
What the price covers. How many visits, how many rooms, whether bait boxes are collected at the end, and what happens if the pest comes back.
Proofing. Is blocking entry points included, quoted separately, or not offered?
Paperwork. Ask for a written report of what was used and where, which helps if you later need to show a landlord or agent.

Our longer guide covers inspections, qualifications and treatment plans.

Pest control businesses in London

These firms appear in public business listings for London. We have not checked their work, prices or insurance, and they have not paid to appear.