San Francisco officials and tenants press for stronger enforcement as bed‑bug complaints rise

San Francisco’s Building Inspection Commission spent the bulk of a meeting focused on bed‑bug complaints, receiving a detailed briefing from Department of Public Health staff and sustained testimony from tenants and community groups who said existing rules are not being enforced reliably.

John Sinojo, representing the Department of Public Health, told commissioners that bed bugs have re‑emerged in recent decades and are now reported citywide in shelters, single‑room occupancy hotels (SROs), apartments and private homes. He described DPH’s inspection and enforcement pipeline: complaints are logged, assigned to environmental health inspectors and, when bed bugs are confirmed, the department issues notices of violation and may escalate to citations or a director’s hearing if owners do not comply.

“Bed bugs are not known to transmit any disease to man,” Sinojo said, while noting that bites can cause allergic reactions and secondary infections for some residents and that treatments require careful room preparation and multiple follow‑up visits to be effective. He also said DPH…