Quick google search came up with this response to a similar question:
Quote:
Although bed bugs are not known disease carriers, they are considered "vermin" in most jurisdictions. An infestation of vermin would be an "uninhabitable condition" for which the landlord would be responsible, regardless of the source.
The landlord's statement that "you would have brought the infestation with you" is both ignorant and irrelevant. It would be impossible to prove that you were the source of the bed bugs and it wouldn't matter anyway, since your landlord's obligation to provide a habitable residence remains.
In order to break your lease without penalty, the landlord must have been duly notified of the condition and must have failed to address it in a timely manner. The condition should be inspected and documented by a reputable health or pest management company or your local health department. You must also inform the landlord of the condition in writing and give the landlord a reasonable opportunity to remedy it. In most cases, the landlord would be responsible for providing you with a temporary residence in the event the apartment or building must be temporarily vacated during treatment.
If the landlord takes reasonable and diligent steps to address the problem, you cannot break your lease even if the problem persists. If the landlord does not respond, and you have a written lease, then you can follow the instructions for default or violation procedures to terminate the lease, or contact an attorney or local tenants' rights group for assistance. You may also have some remedy with your local health department or building department.
No tenant should have to force a landlord to address a bed bug problem in a multi-tenant building. Most landlords understand that once an infestation is discovered in one unit it can quickly spread to others, and landlords are usually self-motivated to protect their own rental property from harm or damage.
Their specific state or county should have some housing regulations regarding pests so you should definitely look those up. Either way, sounds like you want to maintain a solid paper trail.