When furniture can be saved—and when it can’t
Not always. Professional treatment, especially heat treatment, can often save mattresses and furniture, so you may not need to throw everything out. That said, heavily infested items are sometimes discarded — and you should never move infested furniture to another room or unit.
Whether an item can be saved depends on the infestation and the treatment used. Encasing a mattress in a bed-bug-proof cover is a common alternative to tossing it. If you do discard infested furniture, mark it clearly as infested and do not drag it through shared spaces, since that spreads the bugs to other units.
Because replacing belongings can be costly, keep receipts and dated photos of anything you have to throw out. Those losses may be part of a claim if the landlord was responsible for the infestation. If you are being told to trash your belongings because of a bed bug problem your landlord ignored, a free review can help you understand your options.
This is general information about California tenant rights, not legal advice. Every situation is different.