Help regarding landlord

[JonniBravo]

 

 

Hi,

 

For the last 5-6 Years we hav had a problem with mice, we live in a Masonette(Flat) and the block is infested because of one of our neighbours who is old and untidy.

 

We recently had a baby boy and the problem has got worst in the last few weeks.

 

It's no coincdence that we now have fleas even though we dont own any pets, we got them roughly the same time last year when the mice got bad again, I believe this is because everyone in the block has cats and the mice transfer the fleas into our property. The mice have chewed my sons books, knawed out a 1 inch hole in his high chair and chewed cables on my computer and are begining to get very confident coming out during the day, this is causing my partner alot of distress and my 1 Y.O son is covered in flea bits

 

Can we claim compensation for damage caused from the housing office, They have said we need to claim from our neighbour.

 

Is the landlord responsible for the fleas(we spend £30 a year on treatment and still get bitten, not as bad though).

 

Is anything we can do????

Edited August 17, 2010 by JonniBravo

[MrShed]

Pest infestation is the responsibility of the tenant not the landlord I'm afraid, unless such infestation is directly as a result of property disrepair that is the responsibility of the landlord.

 

In this case, I would say this is not the case.

 

If you have good reason to believe that the issue is as a result of a neighbour, I would contact local Environmental Health. However, policies differ, and most LAs do not treat mice infestation as a public health hazard - only rats.

[JonniBravo]

Pest infestation is the responsibility of the tenant not the landlord I'm afraid, unless such infestation is directly as a result of property disrepair that is the responsibility of the landlord.

 

In this case, I would say this is not the case.

 

If you have good reason to believe that the issue is as a result of a neighbour, I would contact local Environmental Health. However, policies differ, and most LAs do not treat mice infestation as a public health hazard - only rats.

 

The housing office have already admitted responsibility for the infestation of the block which incidently is a block of 12 in which at least 10 have complained and 5 have moved out, In addition to this the housing office gutted this tenants property and cleaned it and the problem has since returned and got worst, this has been going on for the last 5 years and we have seen other tenants come and go in this time because these mice are a constant problem our problem is that we are on a low income cannot afford to go private and ar not priority so we cannot get a move at this time, tenants that cause a persistant nuisance can be evicted why should this be any different.

 

Also I am not disputing the fact that the housing office are attempting to control the mice, however this problem in the opinion of the pest controller will never be resolved as long as this tenant continues to live here, in the mean time the mice continue to damage our property and we continue to suffr with fleas.

 

Somehow this seems wrong!!!!

[MrShed]

I assume this is a social landlord as opposed to private? Either council or housing association?

 

Have you tried going down your landlords Anti Social Behaviour complaints route?

[JonniBravo]

Yes it is a Social Landlord, I suppose that could be an option I will ask them about that

[MrShed]

To my mind that is the only real next step.

 

Can you name the landlord please?