Bed Bugs in a Rented Apartment in Abu Dhabi: What Tenants and Landlords Should Do

• Photograph the bugs, bite marks, dark spots on the mattress and the date. • Seal any live bug in a bag or tape it to paper. • Message the landlord or building manager and keep the message. • Wash bedding on a hot cycle and bag it, but do not move furniture into other rooms. • Book an inspection.

There is no single answer here. Look at the maintenance and pest clauses in your contract, how long you have lived there, whether neighbours report the same problem, and how the building is managed. If you are unsure, ask the building management or the relevant Abu Dhabi housing authority for the current rules. A written inspection report from a professional is useful evidence either way.

A technician inspects mattresses, bed frames, skirting, sockets and furniture joints, gives a preparation checklist, applies residual treatment and, where suitable, heat, treats adjoining rooms, then does a verification follow-up. Your technician will confirm how many visits your flat needs.

Inspect second-hand furniture before it comes in, keep luggage off beds after travel, and check the seams of the mattress now and then. Our guide on telling bed bug bites from mosquito bites helps when you are unsure what is biting you.