Rats coming from neighbour's house

alanaplin

My brother lives in a 1930s semi-detached house and keeps getting rats. He has killed loads but they still keep coming. All his drains are in good order. However, his (semi-detached) neighbour appears to have a collapsed sewerage drain.
The neighbours let the property and intend moving soon and so are not bothered about the problem. The landlord is very difficult to contact as he spends a lot of time overseas.
The local council environment department wont do anything about the problem unless his neighbours complain about the problem but are not interested.
Rats could be coming into my brother's house through several places, including the cavity walls, the loft space, ventilation grills or from under the floorboards.
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

ariba10

Contact your local Council.

Fire_Fox

Who owns the house your brother lives in? Why are there so many holes in so many parts of the house? Where in the house is he catching/ killing the rats?

If in or near the kitchen or anywhere food is stored or consumed, your brother needs to do a Really DEEP clean. Meaning getting under and behind absolutely everything. Pull all appliances out, pop off kitchen plinths, the job lot.

No food or food waste left out ever. All food in rat proof storage all the time. Weight down bin lids inside and out so rats cannot get in. Rubber gloves and ideally dust mask for safety when cleaning.

Infestations in private homes are the responsibilty of the homeowner and/ or resident, depending on the situation. Not EH.

Read the information on the Council's website about vermin. EH may respond to reports of rats in gardens. If EH do cover private gardens, will any other neighbours help out and also report rats in certain gardens?

Stephenmac

Environmental issue. Defo contact the council, I am getting the heebie jeebies just thinking about they rats. I live in a flat/apartment and behind me was a swingpark. The housing department started building new houses there, it looks like Brookside Close off Channel 4. Anyhow because of all the digging and whatever, my back court was rat central for a time. I saw one the size of a cat. I was nearly sick and had to come away from the window. This is a really serious issue/hazard to health and the local council will help. Good luck.

alanaplin

2 replies suggest contacting the council. As stated in my original post the local council environment department are not interested unless the problem is reported to them by my brother's neighbours!!!

alanaplin

Sorry, I should have said that the rats are in my brother's loft. There is no food or anything like that - except electric cables which they like chewing!
My mother owns the house - she is in a nursing home.
There are no holes in the house - just natural gaps like cavity walls etc.

Stephenmac

Well. I have said my advice. You seem to have forgoten about a thanks button and are determined to continue this. This is my final post here. I hope you, your brother, him next door, her up the street with a loft full of rats get it sorted.

Fire_Fox

alanaplin wrote: »

Sorry, I should have said that the rats are in my brother's loft. There is no food or anything like that - except electric cables which they like chewing!
My mother owns the house - she is in a nursing home.
There are no holes in the house - just natural gaps like cavity walls etc.

((hugs)) Loved ones in care is hard on a family.

So technically your mother, or her power of attorneys are responsible for maintaining or updating the property such that it is safe. Of couse this is not at all the same in a family as a rogue landlord as a good landlord.

Rats can squish themselves but only so far. AFAIK they cannot get through modern vents. They are getting from loft A to loft B by some route. NOT ventilation, at least not directly.

The two houses need properly separating: if rats can pass so can smoke, fire, chemical fumes. Technically your mother or her power of attorneys responsibility to fix.

Sorry. Doing the best for loved ones and legal stuff are often opposites.

ukamber1

alanaplin wrote: »

My brother lives in a 1930s semi-detached house and keeps getting rats. He has killed loads but they still keep coming. All his drains are in good order. However, his (semi-detached) neighbour appears to have a collapsed sewerage drain.
The neighbours let the property and intend moving soon and so are not bothered about the problem. The landlord is very difficult to contact as he spends a lot of time overseas.
The local council environment department wont do anything about the problem unless his neighbours complain about the problem but are not interested.
Rats could be coming into my brother's house through several places, including the cavity walls, the loft space, ventilation grills or from under the floorboards.
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Hi,

Just noticed your thread...I have the same problem. I'm mid terraced house with neighbours each side of me. I have no gaps but the issue seems to be coming from next door. I dont get any rats in the house but hear them running under the floor boards in the dining room. I have laminate flooring so impossible to get under the floorboards without having to fit a whole new floor. I've also spoken to the council and they will come out to put down traps but as access is difficult to where the rats are, they would not do any of the "labour" type work to make the access. After taking advice, I've ended up having to drill a small hole in the laminate and pour a small amount of rat poison down under the floorboards in the hope it atleast puts them off.....the only problem with doing that is that if it kills the rat under the floorboards, I have no way of removing and could get a bad smell.....

Something to think about is that it might be worth looking into what building insurance cover is in place on the property. Many insurance companies offer cover against "Pests" (rats, wasp nests etc) these days....I've just added this cover and will be using if needed in the future.

Hope you sort the problem...

Gloomendoom

You don't really want dead rats under your floorboards.

They stink and you are likely to be infested with blowflies.

kazwookie

alanaplin wrote: »

2 replies suggest contacting the council. As stated in my original post the local council environment department are not interested unless the problem is reported to them by my brother's neighbours!!!

Be pro active then, either you or your brother go round and see the neighbours and TALK to them about the problem.....................

If the neighbours are out leave a letter asking them to pop round and TALK to them............

Get a private pest control company in
Get back on to the local council again.......
Get pro active...........