Birds and the Housing Association.

LabDaddy

I could do with some help/advise on what I can do over a situation which has been going on with my Housing Association since March this year.

In March early one morning, I heard something in the roof space. I thought it could of been mice or some other household pest. On further investigation, I found it to be birds nesting in the roof space. I then noticed 9 damp patches coming through the ceiling (I live in a house style flat on the 1st floor). I took pictures of the damp patches and informed the Housing Association I am with and have been with since November 2014. I also took video footage of the noise when they are moving about.

Since then, they sent someone out to come and survey what was happening and the person doing the survey on the issue raised would take about 2 further weeks to get someone out. 6 weeks later, they finally made an appointment to send 2 workmen out in a further 2 weeks.

They found the issue where the starlings were getting in (a moved/loose roof tile) and informed me that despite the damp patches, they could not do anything till mid to late September, which as that part of the law I do understand due to them being wild birds and not being able to move them during nesting season.

Since then, I have had to use several packs of fly paper to catch the dramatic increase in flies ranging from small tiny flies to blue bottles. I am having to change them twice a week now due to the amount I am catching. In the 3.5 years since moving in, this is the worst I have ever seen for flies where on previous years, hardly a problem.

My question is:
Legally, what can I do about this situation as not only is it disturbing my sleeping pattern (due to the times that they move about which sounds like elephants bashing around) but also the increase in flies and also my mental health (sleep related)? Does my housing association have to re-accommodate me while this is going on?

[Deleted User]

LabDaddy wrote: »

I could do with some help/advise on what I can do over a situation which has been going on with my Housing Association since March this year.

In March early one morning, I heard something in the roof space. I thought it could of been mice or some other household pest. On further investigation, I found it to be birds nesting in the roof space. I then noticed 9 damp patches coming through the ceiling (I live in a house style flat on the 1st floor). I took pictures of the damp patches and informed the Housing Association I am with and have been with since November 2014. I also took video footage of the noise when they are moving about.

Since then, they sent someone out to come and survey what was happening and the person doing the survey on the issue raised would take about 2 further weeks to get someone out. 6 weeks later, they finally made an appointment to send 2 workmen out in a further 2 weeks.

They found the issue where the starlings were getting in (a moved/loose roof tile) and informed me that despite the damp patches, they could not do anything till mid to late September, which as that part of the law I do understand due to them being wild birds and not being able to move them during nesting season.

Since then, I have had to use several packs of fly paper to catch the dramatic increase in flies ranging from small tiny flies to blue bottles. I am having to change them twice a week now due to the amount I am catching. In the 3.5 years since moving in, this is the worst I have ever seen for flies where on previous years, hardly a problem.

My question is:
Legally, what can I do about this situation as not only is it disturbing my sleeping pattern (due to the times that they move about which sounds like elephants bashing around) but also the increase in flies and also my mental health (sleep related)? Does my housing association have to re-accommodate me while this is going on?

You cant do anything other than sleep in another room. You can't legally disturb nesting birds.

Unless it's in your tenancy agreement no they don't have to rehouse you. Can't imagine it would be, I lived in HA properties for 20+ years and had nothing like that in my agreement.

LabDaddy

There are only 2 liveable rooms in the place; the bedroom and the living room and the birds are above both rooms on the window side

[Deleted User]

I had a starlings nest about 2 years ago. Yup woken daily at 4am with chirping but nothing you can do. The chicks will leave when big enough then the adults will abandon the nest. You then block any holes so thy can't get in next year.

As for rehousing it's not going to happen. I was left without windows for 48 hrs when something went wrong fitting double glazing and had to stay there terrified of breaking and freezing.

Davesnave

You have some birds nesting in your roof space and a few damp patches, which is a nuisance, but unlikely to cause your property to be condemned as uninhabitable by Environmental Health. That is the circumstance in which you, or anyone else, might be re-housed at other people's expense.

Rest assured that emergency accommodation is not usually the great option you seem to think it would be!

Buy some ear plugs and try to find why/how the flies are getting in. You've not established a causal link between them and the birds, but even if you did, it wouldn't change anything. I live in the country, where flies gather in their thousands in people's attics every autumn. Others bite us and often draw blood when we go outdoors. It's annoying, but normal, and there is nothing we can do about it.

hb2

I have heard many people complaining about an increased number of flies this year, so that problem might not be entirely down to the birds in the roof space.

[Deleted User]

I wonder if its worth putting mesh over the windows temporarily so you can open them but not get the flies? I hope so. I also have an 'exterminator' electrified tennis bat. My son is now known as the exterminator lolol.