mice problem in rented house

rubys_mummy

just wondering what my rights as a tenant are regarding rodents in my home?

i told my landlady yesterday that we had mice in the kitchen somewhere as they had been nibbling at packets of food and leaving droppings, and she has only just sent a rather abrupt text saying she will get rid of them this once as a goodwill gesture, but really it is MY responsibility

i've lived here for 7 years now, and there was a problem last year when she had builders in to do some building work on the outside of the house, and when they finished we were infested with mice

she paid someone to come and put poison down, but they're somehow getting in again :mad:

the most annoying thing is....she sent the builder back to put the poison down, she didnt even get a proper pest control man out!

so....am i liable to remove mice/rats, or is it the landlady's responsibility?

i think i'm a really good tenant.....my rent's ALWAYS paid on time, i decorate the whole house every year, i've put a new oven in cos she refused, plus other stuff i didnt need to do,and my house is always clean and well looked after

i am just so upset with her attitude

The_Palmist

May be a bit more cleaning and not leaving any food out help. What are you trying from your end to minimise the issue. If mice have been here once, they will come back again even after poison etc. The best way would be to make sure they have no reason to pay a visit. Keep all food off floor and bins outside.
How many mice are we talking here ?
Are they breeding ?

If they are then poison isn't really going to be of much help. If its just one rogue mouse then a trap should do the trip.

If you think they have built a colony somewhere in your house, you should catch one of them, barbecue and leave the charred mouse hanging somewhere so other mice can learn from this and run away.

theartfullodger

Shelter @
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/pests_and_vermin#1

.. say..

If you rent your home, report the problem to the landlord, who should deal with it. ........... If your landlord or neighbour refuses to do anything, report the situation to the council's environmental health department

.

But perhaps a little compromise/working together may be helpful all round..

Cheers!

Wee_Willy_Harris

rubys_mummy wrote: »

just wondering what my rights as a tenant are regarding rodents in my home?

Unless they were on the inventory, you can keep the ones you catch!

lvm

This may or may not be relevent to you because the mice only arrived when some work was done but...

When I worked in a letting agency (in Scotland), the lease stated that if there is evidence of mice within 14 days of start date then the landlord will deal with the issue - after that it's the tenant's responsibility as they've probably caused them to be there.

The building work has probably disturbed some sort of home for the mice (poor things!)...sorry I have no idea how to get rid of them!

may_fair

rubys_mummy wrote: »

so....am i liable to remove mice/rats, or is it the landlady's responsibility?

i think i'm a really good tenant.....my rent's ALWAYS paid on time, i decorate the whole house every year, i've put a new oven in cos she refused...

Unless the infestation is caused by LL failing to remedy structural disrepair, then it's likely to be your liability unless the contract specifies otherwise. LL also has no statutory obligation to install a new oven.

rubys_mummy

theartfullodger wrote: »

Shelter @
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/repairs_and_bad_conditions/pests_and_vermin#1

.. say..

.

But perhaps a little compromise/working together may be helpful all round..

Cheers!

thanks for this and thanks also to lvm for your advice.....my landlady never got rid of the problem when it first occurred after the building work, thats why i thought she would be responsible

i'm not sure why the rest of you bothered replying as you didnt have anything helpful to say

just for the record, i DON'T leave food out either opened or unopened, and my kitchen bin is emptied daily

the reason i mentioned the oven was just one example of what i have had to do......there was a built in oven on the inventory, as well as other electrical items,and i am paying rent for a partly furnished property therefore they ARE the landlord's responsibility to replace or repair

Judith_W

Just wanted to check, you say that they are nibbling at packets of food, so they must be getting at it somehow and that is why they are coming back. I know they can eat through anything, but you might be wise to get some sturdy containers - plastic or tin and put the packets in them. No easy access to food = no reason to return.

Cyril

OMG you people who rent, honestly.

Why is every bit of trivia and normal detrius of everyday living down to your landlady / landlord to put right.

Sorry but really. You rent the bricks and mortar from the landlord, anything that doesn't move if you shake the house is their responsibility, normal living is yours. Its not hard.

Keep your surfaces clean of food and put some poison down.

Yorkie1

That's a bit harsh Cyril. The OP was asking what the position was, given that the problem arose when the LL's builders did some work and has recurred since. Sounds on the face of it like shoddy workmanship; why should the T have to pay to rectify the problems caused by that?

Cyril

It is harsh but there are so many posts from tenants asking whose responsible for the most stupid things. The door handle fell off the landlord can't get here for a fortnight blah blah.

How do people think home owners get by ?

IMO just because you rent a property shouldn't be an automatic labotomy over the most basic things.

Perhaps the OP didn't get the desired response from the LL cos the LL is fed up of stupid complaints and debating if renting her property is worth the hassle.