Renting, Rat/Maggot/Fly infestation HELP ASAP

ninasimone_2

Be living in the property since November 2006.

First night there i hear mice/rats running around in loft.I contact the landlord the next day.
The Landlord gets a pest controller in who is contracted by him. And makes him come every motnh the lay down posion/bait and remove rats from surrounding areas.
The pest controller tells me he has been going to the property for over 2 years, and it was alot worst when in came!!!

I then find out in the previous tenant had left as the landlord refused to do anything about it and said it was their responsiblity.

In september 2007, the landlord feel out with the pest controller, so he stopped coming.

November 2007, the rat problem was at a all time high there was loads of them running around.

final straw on night MAGGOTS start falling onto my bed.. I contact landlord and estate agent... both claiming it is my responsity to sort it out..

Because the property is NOT block the rats/mice can climb straight up the wall and into the attic from outside and the and at least 10cm gap int he eves.
Also the property is attached to the barn, in which the pest control told me there is brickwork missing in which they are getting through.

esate agents response:

"Whilst we appreciate that you have acted promptly in advising Hektor of the damage that the maggots are causing to the ceiling in THE PROPERTY, the treatment of infestation (be it by flies, rats, mice, wasps or whatever) is the responsibility of the tenants.! We know that clearing up a rotting rat carcass is not going to be a pleasant job, but if you owned the property, you would have to do it or employ someone to do it." :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

now i have flies coming from the light fittings from the ceiling.

BASICALLY THE LANDLORD IS NOW SAYING IF YOU WANT ME TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
1) INCREASE RENT
OR
2) YOU PAY FOR IT!! IF YOU DO I WANT YOU TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT TO MAKE YOU STAY THERE FOR 2 YEAR




I handed in my notice to live there yesterday..

PLAN OF ATTACK:
COMPLAIN TO ESTATE AGENT ( PART OF THE ARLA -)
COMPENSATION FOR HAVING TO MOVE
REPORT LANDLORD TO ENVIRO PEEPS

HAS ANYONE HAD ANYTHING SIMPLIER HAPPEN TO THEM??ANY ADVICE??/



HELP

thetope

that's terrible...

i would contact your local council's rent control department to see about getting money back perhaps as it is clearly unfit to live in, and environmental health is also a good call... (can't they start treating the place and bill the landlord?)

as an aside, that response from the estate agent is very unprofessional, seems odd to me, are they a relative of the owner or something?

weegie.geek

Wow. Unless you're causing the problem, how can you possibly be expected to deal with it? The fact that the pest controller has confirmed there was a problem long before you moved in proves it's not your fault.

The EA telling you it's your responsibility is shocking too. Another case of the EA screwing the tenant. It's the LL's responsibility to make sure the place is in a habitable state. It's not, and hasn't been for quite a while by the look of it.

Get onto the council asap and inform them of the conditions, and the LL's refusal to help.

I've not had any problems like this, but I've had plenty of useless landlords and estate agents.

Go to the local press and get the LL and EA as much bad publicity as you can. Perhaps they'll be less negligent in future.

Catblue

ninasimone wrote: »

We know that clearing up a rotting rat carcass is not going to be a pleasant job, but if you owned the property, you would have to do it or employ someone to do it."

So, they are admitting that it is the responsibility of the owner, but they want you to pay? Unbelievable.

I would write back to them and quote the above sentence and say that you are pleased that they admit that the liability lies with the owner. Consequently, you feel that your moving expenses should be covered since the owner has been negligent for the length of your tenancy.

In your letter, ask for details of their complaints procedure and make it clear that you are taking this further.

Take lots of photographs and send copies to the Environmental Health Officer.

ninasimone_2

personally i think the estate agent are acting this way because the status of the Landlord, and they have contract with him and rent out all the landlords house for £1000's of pounds...
therefore wanting to keep the contract!!!

call enviromental health peeps today and someone coming over in the next few days.
Also sent a offical complain to the EA - waiting reply

I SAY THEY ARE MESSING WITH THE WRONG PERSON!!! ME

thanks for your advice

ninasimone_2

LAST EMAIL FROM ESTATE AGENT!

BASICALLY I ASKED WHERE DOES IT STATE IN THE AGREEMENT IT IS ME AS A TENANT RESPONSIBLE!

Although it is not stated word for word in your tenancy agreement, it does come under the Tenants Duty of Care.

Whilst it is recognized that the landlord has a duty to maintain the property under Section 11 of Landlord and Tenant Act he cannot be held liable. LANDLORD has done everything to eliminate the problem in the surrounding area, and has ordered a sonic deterrent to try and avoid this problem in the future.

We must reiterate that you are living in a country property and this problem is inevitable where domestic waste and food are available.

The majority of our tenancy agreements do state that infestation is the tenants responsibility in a separate clause.

The same would apply if you had an infestation of flies, wasps, ants etc.

Again, I would strongly recommend that you speak with LOCAL District Council and inform them that LANDLORD has treated the surrounding area and that you are living in a residential property, not commercial.

ARE THEY CORRECT???

ameliarate

I don't know the "legal" answers but a couple of things occur to me.

Firstly can you get the pest control man to put in writing that the problem has been going on for some time?

Secondly the estate agent stated that if you owned the property you would have to sort it out - well the landlord does own it and surely he has some respnsibility for it being habitable, which it is not if maggots are falling onto your bed.

Thirdly get onto environmental health instantly. They may even condemn it as unihabitable.

Lastly, get some advice, legal or from citizens advice, i am not sure who, because to expect you to live in those conditions and pay to do so is just plain wrong

ninasimone_2

gosh this just makes me so so angry!!

weegie.geek

I wonder how the letting agent's would like opening the shop in the morning to find someone's posted a rat corpse through their letterbox?

ninasimone_2

owwww naughty good idea but i think they'd knoww it was me!! dog poo maybe :-) evil laughter

jillie1974

thats sounds horrendous!! the thoughts of living there is disgusting??
have you phoned the environmemtal health or the council??