Reference
UK commercial pest control: the law and the audit standards
What the law and the main audit standards ask of a commercial site, duty by duty. Each entry says where it applies and links to the primary source it was checked against, so you can read the requirement in its own words.
Checked against primary sources 27 October 2026
Find what applies · four questions
Which of these duties apply to your site?
25 duties are set out below. Answer four questions and see only the ones that concern you, each linked to its source.
01 · Every commercial site
Duties that apply wherever you operate.
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, section 3
Tell the council about substantial numbers of rats or mice.
An occupier who learns that rats or mice are living on or resorting to their land in substantial numbers must give the local authority written notice straight away. Agricultural land is excluded from this duty. Failing to give notice is an offence.
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, section 4
The council can order the work.
Where a local authority considers steps are needed to destroy rats or mice on land, or to keep it free of them, it can serve notice on the owner or occupier requiring reasonable steps within a set period. Those steps can include structural repairs or other works, not only treatment.
Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 79
Insects from business premises can be a statutory nuisance.
Statutory nuisances include premises in a state prejudicial to health or a nuisance, accumulations or deposits that are prejudicial to health or a nuisance, and insects emanating from relevant industrial, trade or business premises where they are prejudicial to health or a nuisance.
Public Health Act 1936, section 83
Verminous premises can be served with a notice.
A local authority must give notice to the owner or occupier of premises that are verminous, or so filthy or unwholesome as to be prejudicial to health, requiring the steps needed to destroy or remove the vermin. If the work is not done, the council can do it and recover its costs. The section does not apply to factories, mines or quarries.
02 · Food businesses
Food law asks for procedures, not visits.
Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter IX, paragraph 4
Adequate procedures to control pests.
Every food business operator must comply with Annex II, which requires that adequate procedures are in place to control pests, and to keep domestic animals out of places where food is prepared, handled or stored. The duty is to have procedures, which is why an inspector asks to see them.
Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Annex II, Chapters I and II
Premises built to allow pest control.
The layout, design, construction, siting and size of food premises must permit good hygiene practices, including protection against contamination and, in particular, pest control. Windows that open to the outside must, where necessary, be fitted with insect-proof screens that can be removed for cleaning.
The food hygiene regulations of each nation
A breach is a criminal offence.
Failing to comply with Annex II is an offence under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, the Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006, the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, section 13
Food businesses must report infestations.
Anyone whose business includes the manufacture, storage, transport or sale of food must give written notice to the Minister on learning that an infestation is present in their premises, vehicles, equipment or food. This is separate from the general duty to notify the council.
03 · Audit standards
What BRCGS and SALSA auditors check.
BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety, Issue 9, clause 4.14
A competent contractor, a site plan and complete records.
The whole site must have an effective preventive pest management programme, delivered by a competent pest management organisation or appropriately trained staff, at a frequency set by a documented risk assessment. Records must include an up-to-date plan of the full site identifying pest control devices and their locations, any observed pest activity and the treatments undertaken. The site is responsible for carrying out the contractor's recommendations in a timely manner.
BRCGS Food Safety, clauses 4.14.10 and 4.14.11
An expert assessment and a trend analysis, at least every year.
Clause 4.14.10 requires an in-depth, documented pest management assessment by a pest management expert, at a frequency based on risk but at least annually. Clause 4.14.11 requires inspection results to be analysed for trends on a regular basis, and at minimum annually or after an infestation, including the results from traps and monitoring devices. Neither is satisfied by routine visit reports alone.
BRCGS Storage and Distribution, and Packaging Materials
Warehouses and packaging sites have their own clauses.
Storage and Distribution Issue 4 sets pest management at section 6.6: a competent contractor or trained personnel, a site plan of devices, trend analysis at least annually or after an infestation, and an in-depth expert survey at least annually (6.6.10). Packaging Materials Issue 7, audited since 28 April 2025, sets it at section 4.11, including a signed and authorised site plan of numbered pest control devices.
SALSA Food and Drink Production Standard, Issue 7, section 1.9
A contracted pest control operator, with no in-house option.
Since 1 September 2026 every SALSA audit has used the June 2026 issues. Section 1.9 requires a competent pest control operator to be contracted for regular inspection and treatment, at a frequency reviewed at least annually; a plan of all pest control measures, reviewed, dated and signed at least annually; records of activity, treatments and the actions taken on the contractor's recommendations; and trend analysis at least annually, with corrective action where a trend appears.
04 · Care and healthcare
Premises must be clean, suitable and safe.
Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, regulation 15
Clean, suitable, properly maintained premises.
Registered providers must keep all premises and equipment clean, secure, suitable for their purpose, properly used, properly maintained and appropriately located, and maintain standards of hygiene appropriate to their use. CQC's guidance is explicit that a provider keeps legal responsibility when it delegates work to contractors.
The same Regulations, regulation 12
Safe premises and infection control.
Safe care and treatment includes ensuring that premises are safe to use for their intended purpose, and assessing the risk of, and preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of, infections.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Each nation has its own regulator.
Care services are regulated by the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, by Care Inspectorate Wales and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, and by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland, each under its own legislation.
05 · Buildings and construction
Some animals are protected wherever they turn up.
Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, regulation 43
A bat roost is protected even when empty.
Damaging or destroying a breeding site or resting place of a bat is an offence, and it does not have to be deliberate. Natural England's guidance confirms the protection applies when bats are not present. Deliberately capturing, injuring, killing or disturbing a bat is also an offence. Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent regulations.
Protection of Badgers Act 1992, section 3
Setts are protected.
It is an offence, intentionally or recklessly, to damage or destroy a badger sett, obstruct access to it, or disturb a badger while it is occupying one. In Northern Ireland, the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 protects the places badgers use for shelter.
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1
Active nests are protected.
It is an offence intentionally to take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. In Scotland the offence also covers reckless acts and obstructing a bird from using its nest, and Northern Ireland's Order is similar.
06 · How control is carried out
The methods themselves are regulated.
Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022
England: rodent glue traps by licence only.
Since 31 July 2024 it has been an offence to set a glue trap to catch a rodent in England without a licence. Natural England licenses pest controllers only to preserve public health or public safety, and only where there is no other satisfactory solution. The Act covers use; selling glue traps is not banned in England.
Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023, section 46
Wales: banned, with no licence route.
Since 17 October 2023, using a glue trap to kill or take any vertebrate animal in Wales has been an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended. The licensing power in that Act does not extend to the glue trap offences.
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024
Scotland: use, supply and possession banned.
Since 1 July 2026, using, supplying or possessing a glue trap in Scotland has been an offence. The Act lets Scottish Ministers create an authorisation scheme for public health where no other method of rodent control is practicable; no such scheme had been made when this page was checked.
UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime
Professional rodenticides need proof of competence.
Professional use of anticoagulant rodenticides must follow a UK stewardship regime; CRRU UK's has covered professional products used outside buildings since July 2015. Since 1 January 2026, buyers must show a CRRU-approved certificate gained within the past five years, or an older one with membership of an approved CPD scheme. Farm assurance membership no longer qualifies.
CRRU UK guidance on permanent baiting
Permanent baiting is the exception.
Only products containing bromadiolone, difenacoum or cholecalciferol are authorised for permanent baiting, and only at sites with a high potential for reinvasion where other methods of control have proven insufficient. Products containing brodifacoum, difethialone or flocoumafen are never authorised for it.
Pests Act 1954, section 8
Only approved spring traps.
It is an offence to use a spring trap that is not approved, or to use an approved trap outside its conditions. Break-back rat and mouse traps are exempt. Approved traps are listed in Spring Traps Approval Orders, which England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each make separately.
COSHH Regulations 2002 and the Biocidal Products Regulation
Rodenticides are regulated biocides.
Rodenticides are biocidal products of product type 14, and HSE treats pesticides as potentially hazardous substances under COSHH. Before work liable to expose employees to a hazardous substance, the employer must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk, then prevent the exposure or, where that is not reasonably practicable, adequately control it.
Questions
Asked about the rules.
Is pest control a legal requirement for UK businesses?
No single law requires every business to hold a pest control contract, but several duties amount to one in practice. Food businesses must have adequate procedures in place to control pests. Any occupier who knows of substantial numbers of rats or mice must tell the council in writing, and the council can order works. Care providers must keep premises clean and suitable for their purpose.
What pest control records does a BRCGS audit require?
Under clause 4.14 of BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9, at minimum: an up-to-date plan of the full site identifying every pest control device, the baits and monitoring devices in place, clearly defined site and contractor responsibilities, the products used, observed pest activity and the treatments undertaken. The site also needs an in-depth assessment by a pest management expert at least annually (4.14.10) and a trend analysis at least annually (4.14.11).
Does SALSA require a pest control contractor?
Yes. Section 1.9.2 of the SALSA Food and Drink Production Standard, Issue 7, requires a competent pest control operator to be contracted for regular inspection and treatment. BRCGS also allows appropriately trained staff; SALSA does not. Issue 7 has applied to every SALSA audit since 1 September 2026, and it now requires the pest control site plan to be reviewed, dated and signed at least annually.
Do businesses have to report rats to the council?
In England, Wales and Scotland, yes, where they are present in substantial numbers. Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 requires the occupier of land to give the local authority written notice straight away on learning that rats or mice are living on or resorting to it in substantial numbers. Agricultural land is excluded. Food businesses have a separate duty to report infestations.
Are glue traps legal in the UK?
It depends on the nation. In England, setting a glue trap for rodents has needed a Natural England licence since 31 July 2024, issued only to pest controllers for public health or safety. In Wales, using one on any vertebrate has been banned since 17 October 2023, with no licence route. In Scotland, using, supplying or possessing one has been banned since 1 July 2026.
Who can buy professional rodenticides in the UK?
Only buyers who can show competence. Since 1 January 2026 the CRRU UK stewardship regime accepts a CRRU-approved certificate gained within the past five years, or an older certificate together with membership of an approved CPD scheme, such as BASIS PROMPT, BPCA Registered or the British Pest Register. Farm assurance membership on its own no longer qualifies.
Can pest control or building work go ahead if bats or badgers are found?
Not until the legal position is clear. A bat roost is protected even when no bats are present, and damaging one does not have to be deliberate to be an offence. Damaging, destroying or obstructing a badger sett is an offence if intentional or reckless. Work affecting either usually needs a survey first and, where it would otherwise be an offence, a licence.
How to read this page
A reference, not legal advice.
This page summarises the requirements as published on the date above. It is not legal advice, and the wording of the source always governs. Where your site’s position is unusual, take advice on it specifically.
Stratton does not certify sites against BRCGS, SALSA or any other scheme, and holds no certification to them on a client’s behalf. It structures its records around the evidence these schemes and regulators look for. How SEPOS works
Know where your site stands.
An Operational Site Review reads your current arrangements against the duties that apply to your site and leaves you with a written summary of what we find.