The County Administrative Board has rejected a property owner's appeal regarding what officials describe as one of the worst bed bug infestations ever recorded in a residential building in Västernorrland. The decision means a rental house in Härnösand must remain vacant for 18 months to ensure the complete eradication of thousands of bed bugs discovered throughout the property.
According to SVT Västernorrland, the infestation was first reported in September 2025 when a resident filed a complaint. When municipal environmental officials and a pest control company investigated, they found thousands of bed bugs not only in beds but also on kitchen floors and in bathrooms. Despite extensive cleaning and freezing of household items, authorities determined the risk of spread in the old wooden house was too great.
It shows that we did the right thing. It feels good. As if the County Administrative Board, like us, thinks it's a prioritized matter.
Katja Andersson, an environmental inspector with Härnösand Municipality, stated: 'It shows that we did the right thing. It feels good. As if the County Administrative Board, like us, thinks it's a prioritized matter.'
The property owner had appealed the original decision by the municipal social committee, which gave two options: sanitize the house with gas or keep it vacant for 18 months. The owner wanted to lift the rental ban for three of the four apartments, but the County Administrative Board sided with the municipality's position.
Officials justify the lengthy vacancy period because the infestation was 'unusually extensive' and bed bugs can survive for long periods in dormancy. The case has raised questions about responsibility for bed bug remediation in rental properties and tenant rights, with Linda Anderton, a lawyer at the Tenants' Association in Sundsvall, providing legal clarification on these matters.