Contacted by neighbours rental agency

bouicca21

There are rats in or near my garden. I know they are around though I rarely see them.  I rely on the foxes to keep their numbers in check.  Also I’m not worried as long as they stay outside in their own domain.

The local council won’t do anything about them unless or until there is a serious infestation causing a threat to health.

So how bad is this rat problem?  Is it a health issue or has someone got the wind up because they have seen one?  As others have said, keep the garden clear of possible nesting sites and don’t leave food.  In my previous house they were attracted by bird food that fell to the ground (birds are messy eaters) but here the pigeons and magpies make sure there’s nothing left for the rats to feast on.

Jaybee_16

OP said there were 4 houses backing onto each other. Did the agency write the same letter to all properties or only one? 

Martico

Oliverthecat said:

Hello - I am a homeowner and I have been sent a letter from my neighbours rental agency informing me of vermin at my property. They have no evidence, my back garden in locked and is only accessable via an alleyway which they don't have access to so they can't prove where this vermin has come from. They have said they are going to escalate the situation if I fail to take action about this problem. The issue is I have been away for the past week and haven't put the bins out so it can't have been me.  The first letter I get from my neighbours rental agency is very threatening saying they are going to take action against me but there is zero proof that it was my bins that were left out or that the vermin have come from me. Can a neighbours rental agency threaten me like this? there are 4 houses that all back onto each other so there is zero proof the vermin have come from me.  Any advice would be very welcome.  Thanks

Do you think it was your username that prompted them to get in touch with you?

lincroft1710

bouicca21 said:

The local council won’t do anything about them unless or until there is a serious infestation causing a threat to health.

.

Our council's pest control department would certainly lay bait in a property if you could positively show there was a rat infestation. But you would pay for this service.

lincroft1710

Having had rats nesting in our loft, it was found they had entered the property via the main sewer and gone up through the cavity. As well as having to pay the council's pest control department to kill the rats I also had to pay a private company for a sewer survey and putting something in the sewer to prevent another infestation by the rats.


The neighbour's rental agency just can't "take action against you". They need proof that the rats are living on your property, rather than just passing through. Rats are intelligent and versatile creatures and can get through extremely small apertures. Check in and under your shed to be sure there is no nest. If they are in your house you will probably hear them.

ExEstateAgent

Assuming you don't have a rat problem, I'd reply briefly just saying exactly that and suggest they look elsewhere. What next, they'll blame you for too many birds in the sky? 

Albermarle

Regardless of any rat problem, I would be very unhappy about the apparent aggressive and unreasonable tone of the letter.
So the tone of any reply would be less than friendly, as well as saying no rats have ever been seen.

Grumpy_chap

It sounds like the letter from the LA is really just trying it on.
To some extent it has worked because it has concerned the OP.

I wonder whether the simple thing here would be to just put a couple of bait stations out.  No need to respond to the LA, but if they make further (in person) contact, the OP can point to having taken reasonable measures.
If the LA twists that against the OP and says it is proof that the OP is housing the pests, the OP can say they never saw or otherwise aware of any rats, but put the bait stations out after the first letter as better to be safe than sorry.  Assuming it is true, the OP can also add that they never caught any rats in the bait station so they are pleased to know there are none.  If the bait stations do catch rats, the OP will know they are there and can decide whether they wish to engage a professional pest control company.

Oliverthecat

Bigphil1474 said:

My guess - the rental agency had a tenant moaning at them, so they thought the easiest way to deal with it is to send you a letter so the tenant thought they were doing something.

Thanks, This is what I also think has happened.  At the end of the day it's only a letter and the neighbours rental agency can't do anything and neither can the council. Nothing can be proved that these vermin came from my house.  I think they just sent me a snotty letter to put the blame on me if anything got escalated. I've reported the house to the council and the rental agency to the property ombudsman. I don't expect them to do anything, I just wanted to cover myself in case the rental agency escalated it

Silvertabby

Do you have any decking?