The short answer
It depends on location: pests in a public space like a street or park can be reported via 1823, which refers it to FEHD; pests in a building's common areas (corridors, lobby, podium, shared drainage) at a property with a management company are generally the management office's to arrange; pests inside your own private flat fall under the landlord/tenant split in your tenancy agreement, and aren't something the government or management office handles on their own initiative. This isn't legal advice — the actual split depends on your building's DMC and management contract.
Who handles what: check this table before you complain
This split follows the same principle we use for wasp nest enquiries — Hong Kong's general approach to building pest complaints can be summed up in three tiers:
| Where the pest is | Who generally follows up | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Public spaces (streets, footpaths, parks) | FEHD | Call 1823 for referral |
| Building common areas (corridors, lobby, podium, shared drainage, refuse room) — property with a management company | Management office, which arranges a pest control company if needed | Contact the management office directly; include photos and the exact location |
| Inside a private flat | Landlord/tenant, per the tenancy agreement | Not something the management office or government handles on their own initiative — see our "Landlord or Tenant: Who Handles Pest Control?" guide |
| Not sure who's responsible, or the management office won't act | Log it with the management office first; escalate to 1823 if nothing happens | Photograph or film it as evidence, and note the date and time |
The public-space vs management-company split here directly reuses the principle covered in our wasp nest removal guide, which was verified specifically for wasp nests — actual arrangements for other pests can still vary by individual building's management contract.
If the pest is linked to a leak (like rats getting in through a damaged drain), is there a formal process?
If a pest problem is suspected to trace back to a building leak or disrepair — a damaged shared drain drawing in rodents, a leaking eave drawing insects — the underlying leak issue does have a formal channel: FEHD and the Buildings Department run a joint complaint and enforcement mechanism, including non-destructive investigation, and in serious cases can issue a statutory nuisance notice (fines up to HK$25,000 plus HK$450/day) or a court order (up to HK$50,000 plus HK$600/day); the enquiry hotline is 1823. Worth noting: this mechanism addresses the leak itself as the underlying issue — it doesn't necessarily mean FEHD will directly enforce against the pest problem itself. Actual pest treatment usually still needs to be arranged separately by the management office or the flat owner.
What makes a complaint actually effective?
A few things speed this up before you complain to the management office or 1823: photograph or film the pest activity and its exact location, with the date and time; be clear about whether it's in a common area, or whether you suspect it's spreading in from one; if you've complained before with no follow-up, keep a record of that and any reply from the management office (email is better than a verbal exchange); and if you suspect the source is structural or a shared drainage system, you can ask the management office to arrange an independent inspection. Management companies or owners' corporations wanting an ongoing building-wide pest programme may want to look at our property management pest programme; if the dispute is really with a specific neighbouring flat, see Neighbour's Flat Has a Pest Problem — What Can I Do?.