Council pest control in London in 2026: which boroughs still treat, what they charge and how long you wait

Council pest control in London in 2026 is a patchwork: a few boroughs still run a paid service for private residents, several treat only their own tenants, and some have no service at all. Where a service exists, rats and mice cost roughly £150 to £260 for two to four visits, bed bugs £240 to £580, and the wait is usually days to a couple of weeks rather than the same day. Below is each borough in our area as its own website stated it in October 2026, so you can decide whether to book the council, a private firm, or both.

What has changed with council pest control in London?

Councils have cut back while demand has gone up. A British Pest Control Association report in June 2026 found that about half of UK local authorities no longer offer a direct pest control service or have significantly reduced it, while council visits for rodent infestations have risen by more than 150% since 2022, bed bugs by over 30% and cockroaches by almost 20%.

No law obliges a council to run a treatment service. Its duty under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 is to keep its district free of rats and mice, which it can do through inspection and notices rather than its own officers. Most London boroughs that still treat now charge.

Which boroughs have no service for private residents?

Richmond, Merton and Kingston have none, and Westminster and the City of London treat only their own tenants.

• Richmond upon Thames: "we do not offer a pest control service" (page updated 2 October 2026); residents are told to get three quotes from private firms and ask about call-out fees. That covers Richmond, Kew, Twickenham and Teddington.
• Merton: "We do not offer a pest control service for private properties"; homeowners in Wimbledon are directed to BPCA or NPTA members.
• Kingston upon Thames: no treatment service for residents; the council's page refers people to the BPCA and suggests three quotes.
• Westminster: council tenants are treated under their tenancy and leaseholders recharged through the service charge, but for private residents the team "is not taking on any further work at this time" (updated 13 May 2026) and refers them to the BPCA. Appointments are Monday to Friday only.
• City of London: treatment only for Corporation housing-estate tenants; everyone else is referred to the BPCA.

Which boroughs still treat, and what do they charge?

Nine boroughs in our area still run a paid service; prices and visit counts vary more than most people expect, and all figures include VAT.

Camden

• Private residents and landlords pay; council tenants get up to two visits free for the main pests.
• Rats from £177.60 for up to two visits; mice from £151.38 for a one to three bedroom home; bed bugs from £283.52.
• A £20 fee applies if the officer attends and no treatment is needed; the council aims to book within three days.

Kensington and Chelsea

• Council tenants get free treatment for rats and mice inside the building, bed bugs and cockroaches.
• Everyone else pays the most in our area: rats or mice £258.80 for four visits (three treatments plus bait removal), bed bugs £428.30 for two visits in up to two rooms, cockroaches £280.80 (updated 9 July 2026).

Hammersmith and Fulham

• Runs an in-house team; council tenants do not pay for most treatments but are charged for fleas, moths and carpet beetles.
• We could not open the council's price list when this was written, so check its prices page before relying on a figure.

Wandsworth

• Prices from 1 April 2026: rats and mice £214 for two visits plus bait-box collection, or £107 with Access for All membership or a means-tested benefit; cockroaches £214 for three treatments; bed bugs from £237.91 for a one-bedroom flat to £428.24 for five bedrooms.
• Wandsworth Council charges for all types of treatment and offers drainage surveys where rats may be coming up through the drains.

Lambeth

• Rats, mice or squirrels £189.60 for two visits plus bait-box collection, with £81.60 per extra visit; bed bugs £260.40 for up to two rooms (+£108 per room); cockroaches £189.60.
• A "Premium Next Day Service" for any pest costs £278.40, the only published clue to the standard wait; council tenants have a separate estates service.

Hounslow

• Prices for work booked from 1 April 2026: rats in the garden £155, rats indoors £180, mice £180, each for up to three visits within a 35-day treatment window; cockroaches £235; bed bugs £300 for two rooms (+£75 per room).
• Concessions have gone: there is "no longer any reduction in costs for those on lower incomes or benefits". The price is treatment only; proofing is quoted separately.
• Hounslow's service was suspended for a staffing shortage until the week beginning 6 October 2025, and residents must remove any glue boards before the officer arrives.

Brent

• Online rates: rats or mice £194 for three visits seven to ten days apart; bed bugs £312 for a light infestation in one to three rooms (two visits) or £580 for a heavy one (four visits); cockroaches £216.
• The council aims for a first appointment within seven working days but says that is "not always possible due to high demand". An adult must be present at every visit and cancellation costs £50.

Haringey

• Fees correct as of 1 April 2025: rats £191 and mice £191 for three visits (£114.50 with a concession); bed bugs £360 for up to three rooms (£215.50 concession); cockroaches £285.
• No emergency or out-of-hours service and a £24.20 cancellation fee. Council tenants may not need to pay; bed bug treatment is free only in supported housing schemes.

Ealing

• The council's pages gave two different answers when checked: one says it no longer treats individual council-owned households except vulnerable ones and communal areas, another describes a team treating privately owned homes. Ring the council before relying on either.

How long does the council take to come out?

Usually several working days, and no London council publishes a measured waiting time. The stated aims are Camden within three days and Brent within seven working days; Hounslow sells a 35-day programme rather than an appointment date; Lambeth will come next day for £278.40. A council lookup directory updated in June 2026 puts typical London waits at five to ten working days, but that is a commercial source, so treat it as a guide rather than a promise.

What does the council do if you report rats but do not book treatment?

It can inspect and serve a notice, which is a different thing from treating. Under the 1949 Act an occupier must tell the council in writing if rats or mice are present in substantial numbers, and the council can serve notice on the owner or occupier requiring treatment or structural works, then carry out the works and recover its costs if the notice is ignored.

Shelter's legal guidance adds that where a landlord is responsible, because disrepair let the pests in, the occupier is usually not the one charged. So a report is worthwhile even where there is no service: it is how a neighbour's bins or a landlord's broken drain gets dealt with.

How does a private firm differ from the council?

On speed, proofing and the guarantee, not on the poison. Council programmes are treatment only; Hounslow quotes proofing separately and the others do not list it, yet a baited flat with an open pipe run fills up again, so a private programme should find and close the entry points as part of the job.

Timing is the other gap: we attend Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm, often the same day. Every treatment we carry out comes with a written six-month guarantee, subject to the site survey. Where the council is cheaper for you, because you qualify for Wandsworth's or Haringey's concession rate or you are a council tenant in Camden or Kensington and Chelsea, take it.

What to do next

If your council cannot come soon enough or will not come at all, call 020 3411 2329 or use the contact page to book a free inspection survey before any quote. Rats, mice and bed bugs are behind the sharpest rises in council visits, and each has its own page: rat control, mouse control and bed bug treatment, with local detail for Hounslow and Wandsworth.