Neighbour has a rat infestation and wants to alter my drain

1122abc

I live in a mid-terrace home and the neighbour has had a rat infestation over the past year. They’ve approached me 3x now to say that it started after I renovated the inside of my house (no extensions, no disruption to plumbing or drainage). 

I have no signs of a rat infestation, nor does my other neighbour (end of the terrace). However my neighbour’s neighbours (the other side of the terrace row) have heard scratching in the wall. 

My neighbour continues to insinuate that I am the source of the rat infestation and wants to install a rat flap in my manhole which I believe is privately owned (ie not owned by water company). 

They say that their pest control guy says if I agree to install the rat flap, it would stop all the houses in the terrace block getting rats. 

They cannot install the flap into their own drain/manhole because they’ve built an extension on top of it. 

I’ve not come across this before, so wondering if anyone else has experience with this? I don’t want to be unreasonable here and want to avoid getting rats too. But unsure as to why only my property needs the rat flap and if it’s unreasonable to have asked for a professional to install it? I would also ideally like a report from the pest control but I seem to be coming across as obstructive when they believe the simple solution is to fit a flap in my drain. 

dannim12345

Do you have a shared drain / drain run?  Maybe the wrong term… But if they can’t get to their’s maybe putting it in yours will benefit them?  

If they are happy to pay, let them. But if they are asking to pay I would want a report or just a phone call with the company to find out the reason / benefit. 

Murphybear

Have a word with your local council before you do anything.

”UK local councils have a statutory duty to ensure that their district is kept free from rats and mice so far as is reasonably practicable, under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949. They primarily do this through a combination of providing pest control services and using enforcement powers to compel property owners to deal with infestations. 

Most councils will charge for dealing with rats.  While the days of free council pest control are largely over, some councils may offer reduced rates for residents on specific benefits or social housing tenants, and some may offer free services for rats temporarily. “

Section62

1122abc said:

I have no signs of a rat infestation, nor does my other neighbour (end of the terrace). However my neighbour’s neighbours (the other side of the terrace row) have heard scratching in the wall.

Scratching in the wall is more likely to be mice rather than rats.  Have there been sightings of rats anywhere?

1122abc said:

My neighbour continues to insinuate that I am the source of the rat infestation and wants to install a rat flap in my manhole which I believe is privately owned (ie not owned by water company).

If you are mid-terrace does the same drain serve the neighbours on both sides?  If so it will be a public sewer.

1122abc said:

They say that their pest control guy says if I agree to install the rat flap, it would stop all the houses in the terrace block getting rats. 

They cannot install the flap into their own drain/manhole because they’ve built an extension on top of it.

If rats only used drains then there might be some sense to that comment... but rats will run around on the surface if there is no suitable underground route.  A rat flap won't eliminate a rat problem... and increases the risk of you becoming responsible for sewer blockages/flooding.

How does the pest control guy think the rats are getting from the sewer/drain into the neighbour's wall?

1122abc

dannim12345 said:

Do you have a shared drain / drain run?  Maybe the wrong term… But if they can’t get to their’s maybe putting it in yours will benefit them?  

If they are happy to pay, let them. But if they are asking to pay I would want a report or just a phone call with the company to find out the reason / benefit. 

I believe the neighbour wants to install it themselves rather than have the pest company do it, I’d rather a professional fits it but I think my request might have come across as obstructive

marcia_

 If they are paying i would let them do it but check its not a shared drain serving the whole street. Ours is and united utilities are responsible for it 

nakie999

You are not responsible for their rat problem. You have no signs of rats and another neighbour has scratching on the opposite side. That suggests the source is not your drain.

You can ask your neighbour to provide a written report from a qualified pest control company. The report should state clearly that your drain is the entry point. Without this, you should not change your property.

If the manhole is privately owned by you, you choose who works on it. If you agree to add a rat flap, you can ask that a professional installs it and that your neighbour pays the cost. You do not install work on your home because their extension blocks their own access.

Stay calm. Ask for evidence in writing. If they cannot provide it, you are not required to do anything.

sheramber

When we had what sounded like rats having a party in our bedroom wall it turned out to mice in the attic 

1122abc

Section62 said:

1122abc said:

I have no signs of a rat infestation, nor does my other neighbour (end of the terrace). However my neighbour’s neighbours (the other side of the terrace row) have heard scratching in the wall.

Scratching in the wall is more likely to be mice rather than rats.  Have there been sightings of rats anywhere?

1122abc said:

My neighbour continues to insinuate that I am the source of the rat infestation and wants to install a rat flap in my manhole which I believe is privately owned (ie not owned by water company).

If you are mid-terrace does the same drain serve the neighbours on both sides?  If so it will be a public sewer.

1122abc said:

They say that their pest control guy says if I agree to install the rat flap, it would stop all the houses in the terrace block getting rats. 

They cannot install the flap into their own drain/manhole because they’ve built an extension on top of it.

If rats only used drains then there might be some sense to that comment... but rats will run around on the surface if there is no suitable underground route.  A rat flap won't eliminate a rat problem... and increases the risk of you becoming responsible for sewer blockages/flooding.

How does the pest control guy think the rats are getting from the sewer/drain into the neighbour's wall?

The neighbour is the only one who has caught rats in a trap, they say. I’m not sure if they mean mice. 

It seems that every house has its own manhole and I called the local water supplier and they told me that it’s a privately owned manhole i.e. I own it 

Pest control haven’t said this to me directly, the neighbour has instead use this as a rationale to convince me to put the flap in my drain. They are very convinced that the rats are coming from my home and I assume they believe installing a flap will be definitive management. I have no idea if they’ve actually consulted a pest control company

1122abc

Section62 said:

1122abc said:

I have no signs of a rat infestation, nor does my other neighbour (end of the terrace). However my neighbour’s neighbours (the other side of the terrace row) have heard scratching in the wall.

Scratching in the wall is more likely to be mice rather than rats.  Have there been sightings of rats anywhere?

1122abc said:

My neighbour continues to insinuate that I am the source of the rat infestation and wants to install a rat flap in my manhole which I believe is privately owned (ie not owned by water company).

If you are mid-terrace does the same drain serve the neighbours on both sides?  If so it will be a public sewer.

1122abc said:

They say that their pest control guy says if I agree to install the rat flap, it would stop all the houses in the terrace block getting rats. 

They cannot install the flap into their own drain/manhole because they’ve built an extension on top of it.

If rats only used drains then there might be some sense to that comment... but rats will run around on the surface if there is no suitable underground route.  A rat flap won't eliminate a rat problem... and increases the risk of you becoming responsible for sewer blockages/flooding.

How does the pest control guy think the rats are getting from the sewer/drain into the neighbour's wall?

The neighbour is the only one who has caught rats in a trap, they say. I’m not sure if they mean mice. 

It seems that every house has its own manhole and I called the local water supplier and they told me that it’s a privately owned manhole i.e. I own it 

Pest control haven’t said this to me directly, the neighbour has instead use this as a rationale to convince me to put the flap in my drain. They are very convinced that the rats are coming from my home and I assume they believe installing a flap will be definitive management. I have no idea if they’ve actually consulted a pest control company

Section62

1122abc said:

It seems that every house has its own manhole and I called the local water supplier and they told me that it’s a privately owned manhole i.e. I own it

Water comanies often don't know, but default to 'not one of ours' to avoid responsibility.

1122abc said:

Pest control haven’t said this to me directly, the neighbour has instead use this as a rationale to convince me to put the flap in my drain. They are very convinced that the rats are coming from my home and I assume they believe installing a flap will be definitive management. I have no idea if they’ve actually consulted a pest control company

There needs to be a route from the drain into the neighbour's property.  Drains are supposed to have all potential access points protected against vermin infestation - for example grids over gullys and securely fitted manhole covers.  If (and that is a big 'if') the rats are in the drain then there would have to be a hole or other access they are using to get into the neighbour's property.

The solution isn't fitting a rat flap (which risks creating new problems), but rather working out exactly how the rats are getting into the neighbour's property and dealing with that issue.