How to Know if an Apartment Has Roaches Before Moving In

Bed bugs and roaches are the two pests most commonly hidden during apartment tours. Once you move in, they are nearly impossible to get out — and most leases make pest control your responsibility after the first 30 days. Catch them before you sign with these five checks.

1. Open the kitchen cabinets and look at the corners

Roaches leave dark pepper-like droppings in the corners of cabinets, especially under the sink and behind the stove. Use your flashlight. If you see brown specks the size of ground coffee, walk away — that's frass.

Also look for

Shed exoskeletons (translucent, brown, hollow shells)
Egg cases (brown capsules ~10mm long, often glued to undersides of shelves)
Greasy smear marks along walls and seams

2. Check behind the refrigerator and stove

Pull the fridge forward an inch if you can. Grease, crumbs, and dark stains on the wall behind appliances are a roach buffet. A clean back wall is a great sign; a stained one is a flag. Same goes for the gap behind the stove — pull it out and look.

3. Inspect the bathroom drain and overflow holes

Drain flies and small roaches breed in bathroom plumbing. Tiny dark specks around the sink overflow hole or shower drain mean an active infestation somewhere in the building's plumbing stack — one you cannot fix from inside your unit.

4. Look for glue boards or bait stations

Sticky traps under sinks, behind toilets, or along baseboards mean management is actively treating for pests right now. Ask how often pest control visits — weekly treatments mean an ongoing infestation, not a one-time issue. Monthly is normal preventive maintenance.

5. The bed-bug check most renters skip

If the unit is furnished or staged with a mattress, inspect the seams of the mattress, the head and foot of the box spring, and the back of the headboard. Look for:

Tiny dark spots (digested-blood fecal marks)
Pale yellow shed skins
Live insects — apple-seed size, flat, reddish-brown

Empty units rarely show evidence, so check tenant reviews and the NYC bed-bug registry (or your local equivalent) for the building.

“A landlord's first treatment visit is documented in their pest-control logbook. Ask to see the last 12 months.”

6. Read reviews for the magic words

Search the building name plus “roaches,” “bed bugs,” “ants,” “mice,” or “fumigation.” One review is anecdote. Three reviews mentioning the same pest is a building-wide problem you cannot solve from inside your unit.

What landlords legally must do

Most US states require landlords to provide a habitable unit, and a pest infestation can qualify as a habitability breach. A handful of cities (NYC, SF, Boston, others) require explicit pest disclosure for bed bugs. Always:

Report any pest sighting in writing within 48 hours
Photograph and date everything
Save copies of all correspondence
Know your state's habitability rules before withholding rent

Pre-signing pest checklist

Flashlight check of all cabinet corners
Behind fridge and stove inspected
Bathroom drain and overflow inspected
Bed-bug seam check on any furniture present
Reviews searched for pest mentions
Pest-control visit log requested in writing

What to do if you find evidence

You have two options: walk away, or insist on a written pest-treatment guarantee before signing. Most landlords will refuse — which is your answer. For everyone else, run a free pest history check on the building before you tour.

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Frequently asked questions

›If I see one roach on a tour, is the building infested?

Probably yes. Roaches are nocturnal and avoid light — for every one you see, dozens are hiding. A single sighting during business hours is a strong signal of a large population.

›What's the difference between drain flies and roaches?

Drain flies are tiny, fuzzy, and hover near drains; they breed in plumbing biofilm. Roaches leave hard pepper-like droppings and skitter when exposed. Different problems, different fixes — but both signal building neglect.

›Can I cancel a lease if I find pests after moving in?

It depends on your state. Many states require landlords to provide a habitable unit, and a pest infestation can qualify as a habitability breach — but you must document it in writing immediately. See your state rules in our leasing guide.

›Is bed-bug history a public record?

In some places, yes. New York City, San Francisco, and a handful of other cities require landlords to disclose bed-bug history to prospective tenants. Ask in writing — silence is often the answer.