How to Tell Your Spanish Landlord About Cockroaches

You’ve found cockroaches in your rented Spanish apartment. You know you need to tell your landlord. But you’re not sure how to say it in Spanish, what they’re legally obligated to do, or how the conversation typically goes.

This guide gives you the exact phrases, message templates, and legal context you need.

Step 1: Document the Problem

Before contacting your landlord, gather evidence:

• Take photos or video of any cockroaches you’ve found (dead or alive). Include something for scale — a coin works well
• Note the locations — which rooms, near which fixtures (drains, pipes, behind fridge)
• Note the frequency — first time, or recurring? How many sightings?
• Identify the species if you can — a large reddish-brown cockroach from the drain is a different conversation than small cockroaches breeding in the kitchen. Our identification guide helps with this

Photos are powerful. A WhatsApp message with a picture of a cockroach next to your bathroom drain is much more effective than a text description.

Step 2: Send the Message

Most landlord communication in Spain happens via WhatsApp. Here are ready-to-use messages in Spanish:

First Contact — Simple Notification

Hola [nombre]. Hemos encontrado cucarachas en el piso — varias veces esta semana, sobre todo en el baño por la noche. Te adjunto fotos. ¿Podrías encargarte de la desinsectación? Gracias.

Translation: “Hi [name]. We’ve found cockroaches in the flat — several times this week, mainly in the bathroom at night. I’m attaching photos. Could you arrange fumigation? Thanks.”

What If They Come From Drains?

Hola [nombre]. Están saliendo cucarachas por los desagües del baño. Creemos que el problema viene del alcantarillado del edificio. ¿Se puede contactar con una empresa de control de plagas? Gracias.

Translation: “Hi [name]. Cockroaches are coming up through the bathroom drains. We think the problem is from the building’s sewer system. Can a pest control company be contacted? Thanks.”

What If It’s a German Cockroach Infestation?

Hola [nombre]. Hemos encontrado cucarachas pequeñas (cucaracha alemana) en la cocina, incluso huevos detrás del frigorífico. Es una plaga que necesita tratamiento profesional con gel insecticida. ¿Puedes contratar una empresa de control de plagas lo antes posible? Gracias.

Translation: “Hi [name]. We’ve found small cockroaches (German cockroach) in the kitchen, including eggs behind the fridge. It’s an infestation that needs professional gel bait treatment. Can you hire a pest control company as soon as possible? Thanks.”

Step 3: Who Pays for Pest Control in a Spanish Rental?

Spanish rental law — the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU) — establishes the framework:

Landlord’s responsibility:

• Structural issues causing pest access (faulty drains, cracked pipes, unsealed walls)
• Pre-existing infestations present before the tenant moved in
• Building-level problems requiring communal treatment
• Maintaining the property in condiciones de habitabilidad (habitable condition)

Tenant’s responsibility:

• Infestations caused by tenant negligence (very hard to prove)
• Minor preventive measures (keeping drains running, basic cleaning)

In practice: Most Spanish landlords arrange and pay for professional fumigation when notified. A standard cockroach treatment costs €60–120 for an apartment — it’s a routine expense that landlords in Spain expect. See our treatment cost guide for detailed pricing.

What If Your Landlord Doesn’t Respond?

Most landlords respond quickly because cockroaches are a normal maintenance issue in Spain. But if yours doesn’t:

After 48-72 hours with no response: Send a follow-up message:

Hola [nombre], te escribo de nuevo sobre las cucarachas. Sigue el problema y necesitamos una solución. ¿Puedes confirmar si vas a contratar un servicio de desinsectación? Gracias.

After one week with no action: Send a formal burofax (certified letter with proof of delivery, available at any Correos office or online at burofax.correos.es). A burofax creates a legal paper trail. In it, state:

• The problem and when you first reported it
• That the property is not in habitable condition due to the infestation
• A request for treatment within 15 days
• That you reserve the right to arrange treatment yourself and deduct the cost from rent (supported by Article 21.3 of the LAU for necessary repairs)

As a last resort: Article 21.3 of the LAU allows tenants to carry out necessary repairs and deduct the cost from rent when the landlord has been notified and failed to act within a reasonable timeframe. However, this route has limits (the repair cost should not exceed one month’s rent) and is best done with advice from a tenant’s rights organisation.

The Bottom Line

Telling your Spanish landlord about cockroaches is a normal, expected part of renting in Spain. Send a clear WhatsApp with photos, use the Spanish phrases above, and expect a professional treatment to be arranged within a week or two. If they don’t act, you have legal protections — but in the vast majority of cases, a simple message is all it takes.

For the full picture on your rights and responsibilities as a tenant dealing with pests, see our rental pest control guide.