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Original poster

Fleas in rented cottage - wwyd??

104 replies

piedbeauty · 25/12/2022 22:04

We have rented a gorgeous cottage in the Yorkshire Dales for Christmas. Cost £1900.

Dd woke the first day with bites on her back and arm - clusters of three. More the next day. Nothing visible in bed.

Changed beds. More bites. Then today we were all scratching, so dd went to have a shower, and found five fleas on her... and we found some live ones. Small ones, not adults. Dd now has about 40 bites.

Owner is sympathetic but says nothing can be done as it's Xmas.

House is very clean. Guest with dog stayed a few weeks ago; no other guests have stayed since.

I'm minded to ask for a partial refund as we've just paid a lot to be bitten! Do you agree? If so, how much is reasonable?

OP posts:
Bronnau · 26/12/2022 10:52

Over 40 bites! Bloody hell! That's awful.
We had fleas that were dormant until months after we lost our cat. They left the kids alone but my ankles were bitten all the time.
I do think it's unusual to find fleas on a person though, especially more than one, as fleas don't live on humans. This makes me think this is a really bad infestation...
I'd leave tbh, and demand a refund. Try and get photos of the fleas. I was miserable when I had them.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 26/12/2022 10:58

Dd has woken up today not feeling well - sore throat and cold. Is this likely to be due to any disease spread by the fleas?? Or a coincidence??

Coincidence, nothing sinister.

LegodOut · 26/12/2022 11:02

Today you need to gather evidence - photos of the fleas as well as the bites. I assume you will be leaving today given the situation. Demand a full refund, taking it up with your credit card provider/small claims court if the owner refuses. This is entirely unacceptable. With an infestation like that, the owner is probably right, there is very little she can do over Christmas (sounds like it would need professional fumigation, which can't be done when you are resident) but you obviously should be fully compensated. Has the owner not offered that?

(I am a holiday let owner).

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Holidays
EwDavid · 26/12/2022 11:09

We stayed in a house a few years ago which had fleas. It was horrendous. We gathered evidence- picked the fleas that we could find and put them in a bowl of soapy water so they couldn't jump out. We then took pictures to show the owners. The owner paid for us to stay nearby in a hotel, had it professionally sorted and we returned after a couple of days. We also got a full refund on the holiday. When we got home we put everything on a hot wash and luckily didn't have any problems after that. Sorry this has happened to you OP, I feel your pain.

StrawberryPot · 26/12/2022 11:17

Why are people insisting it could be bed bugs? They look like flea bites, are in the right place for flea bites and the op has seen .... fleas!!

In my 20s I lived in 2 rented properties that both had fleas because the previous occupants had cats. I saw a couple on my legs. Doesn't mean they were living on me - they'd just hopped on for a bite.

If you weren't leaving tomorrow op I'd be insisting that the owner comes and treats the property (even if they do live miles away) while you go out for the day (though perhaps not possible now your dd is ill). Alternatively they should pay for you to move into a hotel today. Their response is completely unacceptable. I think your starting point for negotiating compensation is that you want a full refund. Staying in a place with fleas would completely ruin a holiday for me. It's miserable when you don't know where they are and the bites are awfully itchy/uncomfortable.

amylou8 · 26/12/2022 11:22

I have cats and we've had flea problems in the past. 40 bites on one person is a lot, likely more ongoing than a dog a few weeks ago. I'd order some flea lamps for when you get home, you don't want any hitchhikers. They're sticky pads with a bulb that attracts the fleas to the pad with heat, but no chemicals, we get them from Amazon. I'd also want my money back!

Ameadowwalk · 26/12/2022 11:33

I would want a full refund, but to be honest, I would also have decided that the property was not habitable and left, having taken photos.
In terms of whether your DD’s illness is related, do any of the bites look like they are getting infected?
I had a bit out walking a few weeks ago which got infected - it was red around it, swollen and hot to the touch. You need to get it checked out if that is the case.

amicissimma · 26/12/2022 11:46

Is this website any help?

Something called Bedbug lawyer describing the differences between bedbug and flea bites.

Another useful check is to look at the mattresses. If it looks as if someone has made dots with a black biro, specially round the seams and ends, you're likely to be dealing with bedbugs. Beware of taking them into your own home.

I would have left and demanded a refund, either way. Shame to lose the holiday, though.

daretodenim · 26/12/2022 11:50

In addition to spraying the suitcases:

On your way home stop at B&Q and get one of those protective suits for painting. One of you adults put it on before entering house (everybody else stay in car). Then get a change of clothes for everyone and a big bin bag, a small/second bin bag and the hoover. One by one they come in and get changed right by the door - ideally being starkers, putting all clothes in big bag before touching clean clothes. You hoover the area before next person. Then you go last and put the protective suit in the small bag and tie it and tie the big bag. Then hoover again. Then big bag gets emptied into the washing machine.

Can also add in a shower stage to that with dressing gowns instead of clothes to put on at front door.

Then hoover the next few days.

It's pedantic and an irritating amount of work, but having had the surprise of fleas incubating and breeding in my home, I'd rather do everything possible to stop the fuckers before they get a chance to start. I did something similar to this every day btw to get rid of them and they were gone in a week. Far better to just not give them even a tiny chance!

Original poster
piedbeauty · 26/12/2022 12:11

We have bought sprays and sprayed entire house, put clothes we will be wearing on a hot wash. No point leaving early - we're out all day today and leaving tomorrow.

Will contact holiday company ASAP. The fleas have got worse over the week - if they had been like this from the start we couldn't have stayed. Think they must all have woken up after realising there were hosts around...

Fucks sake. It is grim. And I wanted a perfect Christmas. Feel so sorry for dd

OP posts:
SinnerBoy · 26/12/2022 12:34

MidnightMeltdown

It's highly unlikely that these were fleas. Pet fleas don't live on humans. They may occasionally bite humans, but it's not likely that she would suddenly be attacked by 5 at once! I think this has been caused by something else.

Our dog has had fleas several times and DD Cuddles her a lot. The first we knew was when DD had bites all over, when she woke up. I went to the spare room, DD went in bed with DW. Stripped all the bedding and sprayed both sides of the mattress, a week apart. Then left it to air out for a few days.

It's a major PITA. They need dog blood protein to form their eggs, but will bite anything for a meal.

SinnerBoy · 26/12/2022 12:36

Anyway, definitely complain and leave messages in the paper and online guest books:

"It was infested with fleas and the owner refused to act. "

It doesn't matter that they're a drive away, they should have ordered something online, or organised someone local to drop some off. It's unacceptable, in this day and age and you are definitely entitled to some sort of refund.

kingsleysbootlicker · 26/12/2022 12:44

piedbeauty · 26/12/2022 10:40

Thanks, @LuluBlakey1.

Dd has woken up today not feeling well - sore throat and cold. Is this likely to be due to any disease spread by the fleas?? Or a coincidence?? She must have over 40 bites.

I react to flea bites like this, it's an allergic reaction. I can end up feeling really fluey. You could try giving her an antihistamine

Merryweather80 · 26/12/2022 13:04

Dog with fleas lays on bed. Eggs and fleas now in the bed. Dog with lays on carpet, carpet sofa, car etc now has fleas and eggs which can lay dormant for a year. Vibrations and heat make eggs hatch- cycle starts over.
You need a good spray from the vets. Plus treat any pets you have and your car too. Eggs could be moved in clothing until it's hot washed or sprayed.

PaperMonster · 26/12/2022 13:23

We were once stuck for a fortnight in a remote flea-infested house. MIL was too wussy to even ask for a refund. We hoovered constantly. I remember someone telling us to hoover, then hoover immediately afterwards as they’d have been disturbed so we’d be hoovering them up. There were no remedies to be found. We never thought of Amazon - not sure why tbh. We had a day of a journey back home. We came into the house and stripped off in the kitchen. We flea bombed the car. Cuddly toys went in the freezer. It was a nightmare. You have my sympathies!

Original poster
piedbeauty · 26/12/2022 15:57

SinnerBoy · 26/12/2022 12:36

Anyway, definitely complain and leave messages in the paper and online guest books:

"It was infested with fleas and the owner refused to act. "

It doesn't matter that they're a drive away, they should have ordered something online, or organised someone local to drop some off. It's unacceptable, in this day and age and you are definitely entitled to some sort of refund.

Helpful, thank you!

OP posts:
CornishTiger · 26/12/2022 16:03

You can buy indorex at local pets at home with a vets section. Some vets will sell it to you too.

Amazon is of course cheaper

Damnautocorrect · 26/12/2022 16:46

memory Is sketchy on this but I worked with a girl who had a bed bug infestation (bed bugs or fleas it’s going to be similar advice). She had to get her entire wardrobe dry cleaned and froze any soft furnishings in plastic bags.

might be useful information for anything that can’t be boil washed.

SinnerBoy · 26/12/2022 16:51

piedbeauty

Helpful, thank you!

Oh, glad to have been useful!

ISawFreeShips · 26/12/2022 19:30

Please do update @piedbeauty, I hope you get a decent response from the owners or agent in the end.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 26/12/2022 19:43

Damnautocorrect · 26/12/2022 16:46

memory Is sketchy on this but I worked with a girl who had a bed bug infestation (bed bugs or fleas it’s going to be similar advice). She had to get her entire wardrobe dry cleaned and froze any soft furnishings in plastic bags.

might be useful information for anything that can’t be boil washed.

That really shouldn’t be necessary for fleas. Bedbugs are much easier to spread and harder to get rid of.
If you don’t have a cat or a dog you won’t take an infestation home with you. You might take a few insects but they won’t breed.

hedgehoglurker · 26/12/2022 19:54

kingsleysbootlicker · 26/12/2022 12:44

I react to flea bites like this, it's an allergic reaction. I can end up feeling really fluey. You could try giving her an antihistamine

Show quote history

Yes, me too. Hope she's having antihistamines as this should help. Maybe coinciding with a virus too, so paracetamol also will be helpful.

EasterIsland · 26/12/2022 19:56

I’d be asking for a refund and for them to be there tomorrow with some (a lot) of flea bombs while you all leave the house for the day.

Fleas can last a surprisingly long time in an empty house and it was clearly the previous guest + dog.

RosesAndHellebores · 26/12/2022 20:03

If you are looking for a refund, I hope you notified the holiday company immediately. The holiday company and the owner should have found a joint solution: deep cleaning, specialist spraying, alternative accommodation, damages for a spoilt holiday.

This is why I never allow pets in my properties.

LuluBlakey1 · 26/12/2022 20:17

piedbeauty · 26/12/2022 10:40

Thanks, @LuluBlakey1.

Dd has woken up today not feeling well - sore throat and cold. Is this likely to be due to any disease spread by the fleas?? Or a coincidence?? She must have over 40 bites.

I'm not a Dr but I'd think coincidence - a Dr would know better. You should photograph all of the bites all of you have. One person having 40+ bites is a lot.