To sell this stinking rat hole, I mean house because we have rats?

[RedWineAllMine]

So to cut a long story short, purchased first house a year ago, have since discovered the bastards that sold it to us never told us of the rat problem. I found rat droppings tonight in living room, and knawed pieces of wooden coving and doors throughout the house. I have been away so noticed it when I came back. I have just paid £99 for the council pest control, they will be here within the next 2 days. I know it's rats because we caught one in the loft not long ago, but laid down poison and that was the end of that until now....
So, told my Partner we are selling or I'm leaving him once council have sorted the rats. I can't live here.

We are, hopefully, getting to the end of our rat problem. We’ve got someone coming out on Thursday to put ‘something’ (forget what he called it) in the service pipe which became redundant after the extension was built. A common problem apparently; old pipes are not blocked when new ones go live. We had to have a CCTV drain survey to find the problem (I’ve got pictures of the sewer...). So far, two very dead and absolutely honking rats - one in the roof space, and one behind a panel (the smell is just awful )and one caught in a trap in the roof space. We had to have a new ceiling in the downstairs loo, so what with that and the surveys and remedial work, we’re some £1500 lighter.
The pest control man from the Council was really helpful. Good luck!

I had fine wire mesh put over all the air bricks in my house to prevent mice getting in that way.

Well he's been, he laid poison in loft (thousands of droppings), laid poison under floor boards in house, and laid the poison in the hollow under the house. He also picked up on that our roof has been leaking.
He tried to get to the manhole drain in the back garden, as he said it sounds like they are coming in through the drains but the screws are rotted away so he was unable to lift it. We're going to have to smash the paving to get it up. Oh dear, always one thing after another!
It is a infestation but he said he won't know how bad the problem is until he returns for his second visit which will be next Tuesday. He said they are getting in under the house in the hollow via the little door that's under the house. We opened it and immediately found droppings in the door way. So my Brother in law is coming this week to make and fit me a new little door for it. So that problem will be sorted this week. Can't get the drain up until partner returns in April.
I'm getting legal advice on what to do about the surveyor etc, because someone is liable here, if we'd of known about this we wouldn't have bought it.
I suppose we have let the problem get worse, as we thought it was cats on the roof. But then at Xmas caught rats in the loft, and in the garden. And now they are getting inside the house.
Previous owners did have rats, neighbours told me. My house is detached, I've told them to get council out too as it's a joint problem, she's paying this week and getting her house done as well.
I've been so stressed out today!
You've all been lovely and tremendously helpful

As for passing on the rat info to potential buyers, I'm not going to. No one would buy it if I did. Previous owners didn't tell us, so I'm not. But I am dealing with the problem, I want to ensure they are gone by the time we decide to sell, if we do. Previous owners didn't even do that. Then if the rats come back later I can't help that.

My house is semi detached I mean**

Hopefully when the pests are gone, have all gaps pipes sealed. My dad used to use crushed glass in the cement when blocking old pipes, they will eat though cement but with glass they ll bleed to death if they try.

I feel really sad for you that your husband isn’t even living in the house full time, and you are. You’ll never love this house without all the work done, which you can’t afford to do. Maybe talk with your husband and think of a plan B after the rats are sorted. Best of luck OP.

I'd be furious with him for insisting on buying that place and then not even being there half the time! I'd want him to buy me out so I could run away from it.

In the meantime, pack a couple of bags and get the hell out of there, OP.

the bastards that sold it to us never told us of the rat problem so will you warn potential buyers about the rats then?

Xpost, just saw your latest update.
In your own words, that makes you a bastard then doesn't it?

I lived in a house with rats once (big Chernobyl genetic mutations they were - literally, it wasn't in the UK, the less said about that the better) and they were terrifying. We locked ourselves in upstairs at night because they basically owned the ground floor at night.

I am sorry that you are suffering it. We too were in New Town in Edinburgh, very fancy, but mouse-ridden. I am allergic to cats, but just took tonnes of drugs and got a cat. the cat cleared the whole lot out within days.

If the previous owners had a cat, they probably didn't have the rats. We've had a couple of episodes of problems with mice. When we had cats there was never a trace of them.

The lady, and I use the term loosely, who we bought our house from, lived here 25 years. In that time, she did nothing to remove the rats from the house.
We had every rat in the district set up house in our attic and barns.
We got the council down, who did a marvellous job. They tackled the house hard and also put poison out in the attached barns.
We got rid of the house rats relatively quickly. The barn rats took about a year on all of various frequency visits.
Now, we have no rats in the house and although I'm guessing there will be some in the barns, we don't see evidence of them.

That feeling of being dirty passes in time and the distinctive smell too subsides.
Don't lose hope!

OP is planning on getting rid of the infestation. The previous owners didn’t do that.

Urubu yes I probably will be the bastard aswell! I can understand why they didn't tell us, but still fuming that they didn't if that makes any sense. Surveyors should pick up on it too tho. At least I am tackling the problem with intent to sell, previous owners didn't even do that.
There was droppings in the loft when we bought the house, but you think nothing of it do you? And thinking back now I have heard these noises for a long time even after buying, but thought it was things on the roof. It's only when we caught 2 rats and I came home recently to droppings and gnawing that I've realised it is a major rat problem that we have now.
I am seriously thinking of leaving my partner (not husband) if he doesn't agree to sell. I have already thought about him buying me out n me just leaving.

No one is going to disclose that they have rodents, I doubt the Question even appears in the selling questionnaire. Still you know to ask next time you buy, in writing!
I hope you go after the bastard surveyor OP!

And a pp is right, I won't ever be happy here until the house is done, but there is that much to do to it to get it to our taste that will take years and years. I hate this house, and keep on bringing that fact up in arguments.

What type of a survey did you get when you bought the house?

We had mice once, didn't realize until we emptied out a cupboard and found droppings and knawed packets. Our small terrier didn't even notice. Useless.

Don't panic though, once you have the problem sorted.

I feel for you with this. I am completely rodent phobic and swear if saw one is not be within a hundred yards of my house. I know they probably live nearby but my 2 cats keep them discreet.
When my then partner now dh were house hunting he also lived away and set his heart on a house I wasn't sure about. In the end I phoned him at 4.30 am because i was lying awake worried about having to live in a house I didn't like.
We were supposed to exchange in 2 days and he rang and pulled out in the morning.
He knew it wasn't fair.
The house were are I now was a fucking money pit for 2 years but now I love it and it was worth the stress of 2 years of builders.
Get this house right. Move out. Don't look back.
And next time ensure you both can veto unless you are both entirely happy with the house. It's a massive commitment and it has to be right for both of you.

The council rat man will sort the locals out. Don't worry. Their days are numbered.

Your surveyor was rubbish. The smell itself would have been enough to rouse suspicion. The smell will be from the rats; it’s a smell you don’t forget! If it’s an infestation it can still be sorted, so don’t write it off yet. Block up their way in ASAP.

You can rehome feral/farms from the Cats Protection League.

I would not have ignored droppings in the loft - that would have been my red flag!

Also, you have limited recourse from the sellers I’m afraid. Yes, they should have declared the problem. You would have to prove they knew about it and it doesn’t sound like you have the money to pursue it. Houses are bought in England with “buyer beware”, i.e. it’s up to the buyer to check things, NOT for the seller to declare it.

I'm sorry you find yourself in this position, OP, and hope the situation is soon resolved.

They didn't tell us about asbestos either, n it wasn't on the house survey report. Partner said if he'd of known he wouldn't of bought it.

Did you have a full survey done or rely on the Home Buyers Report (which is next to useless)?

Have there been rats since you have been there?

Rats have been here since we moved in yes, but I didn't realise until I found and saw evidence. We got a surveyor recommended to us through the bank, surveyors they use. We paid for the medium report, £500. There was a low, medium & high.

The problem with poison is that other creatures will eat the rats if they leave the house, and die, owls, foxes etc.

Electronic traps are effective.

White vinegar and water heated on the hob helps remove smells, and you can wash everything down with it as well.