How bed bugs get in—and why it’s often not your fault
Bed bugs are hitchhikers. They travel on luggage, used furniture, clothing, and between apartments through walls and shared spaces. In a multi-unit building, an infestation often spreads from another unit, so it is frequently not the tenant's fault.
Bed bugs can arrive from a hotel stay, a secondhand couch or mattress, a guest's belongings, or a neighboring apartment. They are not a sign of a dirty home — they are found in clean and messy places alike, because all they need is a place to hide near a sleeping host. In apartment buildings, they move through wall voids, outlets, and baseboards from one unit to the next.
Because of how easily they spread, landlords are usually expected to treat the building as a whole rather than blame a single tenant. If your landlord is pointing the finger at you for a bed bug problem that likely came through the building, a free review can help you understand who is actually responsible.
This is general information about California tenant rights, not legal advice. Every situation is different.