HB1186 creates a new section in Hawaii’s landlord-tenant law to address bed bug infestations in rental housing. It would prohibit landlords from showing or renting a dwelling unit that they know or reasonably suspect has a current bed bug infestation, and it requires a visual inspection if the landlord has notice of a suspected or actual infestation before renting. The bill also requires landlords to disclose certain adjacent-unit bed bug conditions to prospective tenants, including units that are currently infested, being treated, or treated within the prior 30 days.
The bill establishes a detailed response process once a suspected infestation is reported. Within five days, the landlord must acknowledge the notice and inspect the unit or hire a licensed pest control operator; within seven days after an infestation is confirmed, the landlord must arrange remediation, inspect adjacent units, notify affected tenants, report the infestation and control measures to the Department of Health, and keep records for two years. It also defines “bed bug infestation,” “bed bug remediation,” and expands the definition of “dwelling unit” to include public housing and certain university, college, and dormitory housing.
Impact
HB1186 would add explicit bed bug obligations to chapter 521, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which currently does not specifically address bed bugs. It would impose new disclosure, inspection, remediation, reporting, and recordkeeping duties on landlords, including public housing authorities and certain student housing operators. The bill also allocates remediation costs between landlords and tenants based on when the infestation is reported, while exempting Hawaii public housing authority and college/university-controlled units from tenant cost-sharing.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the overall sentiment appears to be supportive and problem-solving in nature. The measure is framed as a public health and tenant-protection response to a recognized pest issue, with findings emphasizing health, mental health, and economic harms. No contrary viewpoints are documented in the provided materials.
Contention
The main policy issues embedded in the bill are cost allocation, landlord compliance burdens, and the scope of coverage. The bill places remediation costs on landlords in some early-reporting situations but requires tenants to share costs in later-reporting cases, except in public housing and certain higher-education housing. It also requires landlords to disclose adjacent-unit infestations and to notify the Department of Health, which may raise administrative and operational concerns for landlords and housing operators. Another notable point is that the bill extends to public housing and dormitory settings, broadening its reach beyond conventional private rentals.