I need to know what you think and what you would do if you were me ! Please !

[quiveutmabonnebaguette]

I just came back from France this afternoon after 2 weeks. To make our story short : we have sub let the flat to our childminder for 400 quids because she needed accomodations for her family because she was marrying her daughter. She nhas insisted and we said yes to her as we consider her as family. I call this afternoon and ask her if everything has been alright and she tells me that no it was not and in fact her family has stayed somewhere else because they find a MOUSE in our flat...I'm completely chocked by this...we are seeing her in half an hour and I'm scared she 's going to ask for the money...money we dont have anymore as it has been spent on the holidays...what should I do ? What should I say ? I cant give the money back, my dh has been made redundant the day before leaving...only shit is happening to us at the moment...

[MerlinsBeard]

have to say i would ask for proof that there was a mouse.

[quiveutmabonnebaguette]

How can I do that ? There is nothing to see...I have been 2 years in that place and never saw anything...thank you for your answer, I'm feeling so bad...we are going trough tought time.

[seeker]

She is - as they say -having a laugh isn't she? If she was any sort of a friend she would have dealt with the mouse for you! Don't give her any money back - it was their choice to move out!

[DollyChacon]

She had the option of contacting you and getting in pest control, presumably?

[UCM]

Tell her that she should have bought a mousetrap and thats that. She sounds bonkers.

[TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench]

It's not your fault if there was a mouse in the flat!

And what's wrong with these people? Couldn't they just deal with it? My cat brings in mice all the time - I just trap them in a tupperware box & let them go outside. Or buy a humane trap. Or just shut the cat out for the night & sort it out in the morning. Mice aren't going to hurt you FGS.

Sheesh!

[Tigana]

was about to type what dollychacon just did...but dolly got there first...so..

ditto dollychacon.

[Paddlechick666]

she should have contacted you with the problem when it happened thus giving you the option of sorting something out for them.

not sure what arrangement you had with your CM but if I had a pest problem I'd call the landlord and let him organise pest control.

My tenants very kindly infested my flat with bedbugs. They called me, I called pest control and we split the cost of the call out. In fact I could've just charged them the whole amount as the pest guy was certain they'd brought the bedbugs in with them.

But I'm a nice landlord so we split it.

Anyways, if she does ask for the money back then I'd say you're within your rights to refuse as she has waited till you returned to tell you about the problem.

hope you resolve it okay......

[quiveutmabonnebaguette]

Thank you, you are all nice ! I'm feeling sick because I cant believe this is happening...they were supposed to be six in our flat...I'm scared that she's trying to be cheecky with us..she didnt call at all while we were in france...she had 3 numbers to contact us..and my email adress...she didnt tell use it

[LittleBellatrixLeBoot]

Oh well if she can't deal with a mouse and needs to move into Claridges with a fit of the vapours when one moves in, she'll have to finance her vapours, won't she?

She's a nutter.

[Tigana]

Be strong, calm, serene. If there was a problem she shoudl have told you so you could sort it out for her there and then.
And...fwiw, a single mouse pootering about is NOT such a big deal as to cause mass evacuation!

I would be a wreck too as I hate confrontation.

[FlameBatfink]

I echo Quench

I called my landlord to say we had a mouse and we wanted them to pay for the pest people... they said it was just one so could be an escaped pet and that we had to sort it ourselves

Couldn't be arsed with arguing though. I was temped to get a cat and tell em that we sorted the problem ourselves, like they suggested

[WanderingTrolley]

And she's your childminder?

Oh boy.

I strongly suspect she is having a larf, but I can be very cynical. She choose to not contact you about the mouse, which could now be breeding in your flat. She did you a disservice in not telling you. Can you take that tack?

If I were renting a flat from someone and found a mouse in it, I would be mightily cheesed off, but I'd contact the owner asap and take it from there.

[quiveutmabonnebaguette]

Once again thank you for your kind replies...and understanding...She has just called, cant make it tonight but tomorrow so I guess we'll talk some more...she has said on the phone that I should call pest control asap as it could be dangerous for my 2 small children (angry]

[hls]

The point is- she hasn't asked you for a refund yet! If she does, then just be super-surprised and say "no" - very firmly. If need be, say there is no proof that her family did not stay there (have you got neighbours who might have seen whether they stayed or not?)

You are under no obligation to refund her rent as she didn't contact you at the time with a problem- and I'd be looking for another child minder- fast.

Sounds as if she is taking the mickey - so don't fall for it. And if she was that bothered, she'd have called Rentokil when she was there, at the time. All sounds very fishy to me.

[NAB3]

6 mice in your flat? She is having a laugh. Her choice to move out, no refund, but I guess you may be looking for a new CM. She sounds quite intimidating if she "insisted" you let her stay in your flat.

[warthog]

whole thing sounds a bit odd to me. she pushed you into letting her stay, pays you money, then says she couldn't stay there because of mice you've never seen evidence of (i'd at least want to see the droppings) and presumably will want her money back. sounds like she's trying to pull a fast one.

don't fold unless she has good evidence, and i'd look for a new childminder... even if she does have evidence that doesn't explain why she didn't contact you to sort it out. either way, she's handled it badly.

you have a clear conscience.

[LittleBellatrixLeBoot]

LOL at the idea of a mouse being reasonable grounds to move out, btw.

The more I think about it, the more it's on a par with "I found a spider in my bath - eek! I want all my rent back plus a month's compensation for trauma plus a month's goodwill".

It is so mental.

[LittleBellatrixLeBoot]

Do please reassess your childcare arrangements with this loon!