In short
Glasgow City Council runs a pest control service you can request online, and its page sets out what it currently covers and charges. Check that page first, because council services change. If you rent from a housing association, report bed bugs to the association, which usually arranges treatment. Private tenants should go to their landlord.
Contents
“Phone the council” is the first thing a lot of people in Glasgow think of when they find bed bugs. Whether that is the right first call depends on who owns your home.
What the council offers
Glasgow City Council has a pest control service that residents can request online through its report a pest control problem page. That page is the place to check what it currently treats, whether there is a charge, and how long you might wait. We do not quote a council price on this site, because we could not confirm the current charge for bed bugs, and council fees and services change from year to year.
When you check, look for three things:
- Is bed bug treatment listed? Some councils treat rats and mice but not insects, or treat bed bugs only for certain tenants.
- What is the charge, and does it cover more than one visit? Bed bugs nearly always need two or three spray visits. A fee that covers one visit is not the whole cost.
- How long is the wait? Bed bugs breed steadily. A few weeks’ wait means more of them by the time anyone arrives.
If you rent from a housing association
Glasgow transferred its council homes to housing associations in 2003, so if you rent what used to be a council flat, your landlord is now an association, not the council. Most Glasgow associations have a pest control policy and arrange treatment for their tenants, sometimes through the council’s service and sometimes through a contractor.
Report it through your association’s repairs line, the same way you would report a leak. Ask:
- whether they will treat the whole flat or only certain rooms;
- what you need to do to prepare;
- whether they will check the neighbouring flats in the close.
If you rent privately
Go to your landlord or letting agent, in writing. In Scotland a private landlord has to keep the home meeting the Repairing Standard, which includes being reasonably fit to live in. Most landlords simply book a pest control firm. If nothing happens in a reasonable time, mygov.scot explains how to take it further, up to an application to the Housing and Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal. This is a general guide; your tenancy and the facts of your case matter.
If you own your home
You can use the council service if it covers bed bugs, or book a private firm. Think about it this way:
| Council service | Private firm | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Usually insecticide spray | Spray, steam or heat |
| Visits | Set by the service | Agreed with you; often includes a check visit |
| Timing | Depends on the waiting list | Often within a few days |
| Neighbours | Rarely included | Can usually be checked at the same visit |
Private prices, as a guide, run from about £270 to £520 for a spray course in a one-bed flat, and about £700 to £1,100 for heat. Our price sheet has every size of home. These are national figures from published price lists, October 2026.
Whichever route you take
Some things help every treatment, council or private:
- Wash bedding and clothes from the affected rooms at 60°C and tumble dry on hot for at least 30 minutes, as the NHS advises, then keep them sealed in bags.
- Clear the floor and under the bed so the technician can reach the skirting.
- Keep sleeping in your own bed. Moving rooms spreads them.
- Do not use shop sprays or foggers before the visit. They scatter the bugs and can make the treatment less effective.
- Tell the people in the close. One flat treated on its own often means a repeat visit later.
If the council cannot help
If the council does not treat bed bugs, or the wait is too long, a private firm is the alternative. You can send the form on our bed bug treatment in Glasgow page and we will put you in touch with a technician who works in your area. You are told who they are first, and your details only go to them if you agree.