Who should pay for urgent disposal of potentially pest-infested mattresses – tenant or landlord? (UK

[Mattissues]

We recently moved into a rented furnished apartment. The property came with three old mattresses, which we had already agreed with the letting agent to dispose of at our own expense.( a lot of back and forth as we didn’t initially know the mattresses wouldn’t be disposed off and we told them we were not sleeping on old mattresses so we had to take responsibility of disposing of them as we didn’t mention this before referencing began)

We purchased new mattresses and initially intended to keep the old ones inside the flat until Croydon Council could collect them.
However, two days after moving in, we discovered a bug crawling on one of the old mattresses (possibly a carpet beetle larva/ bed bug). Concerned about a potential pest problem affecting our new mattresses, we immediately moved the old ones into the communal bin store.understandably we can’t just put the there and leave them but

We had already booked and paid for council bulky-waste collection, but the earliest available date is 22 November.
The concierge has since confirmed that mattresses cannot be stored in the communal bin area, and the letting agent has instructed us to remove them immediately.
We understand the building rules and accept that we agreed to cover disposal costs. However, urgent private removal would mean paying considerably more on top of the council collection we’ve already paid for.
My question is: Given that these were the landlord’s mattresses and we discovered a suspected pest shortly after moving in, is it reasonable for we the tenants to bear the entire additional cost of urgent removal?
Or should the landlord or managing agent share some responsibility for resolving the situation?
I’d appreciate opinions, especially from anyone familiar with UK tenancy law or who has experienced something similar.

thank you

The landlord needs to help now.

not what you asked, but the first thing I’d do is establish if there are bed bugs in the property as that will be a much bigger issue.

and I would try and get quotes to just take then down the tip.

You told the landlord you’d pay for their disposal. They aren’t going to change their mind based on a mumsnet verdict. You need to sort this out.

Absolutely a job for the landlord. And I say this as a landlord myself!

I’ve always removed stuff like that as a landlord. Plenty of man with a van around.

If you have to get rid of them make sure you use a registered waste carrier.

Post on Facebook. Someone will come pick them up for £50 or so

And then probably fly tip them

Get a licenced waste carrier

Any reason why you'd be unable to take them to Fishers Farm, Factory Lane or Purley?

As a landlord I would say landlord too. You would have kept them inside but for the bugs.

The only thing is they could challenge that you made it up so that they would pay.

Specify you want a licensed waste removal…

The license is £50.

Doesnt guarantee it’s not getting fly tipped.

get the landlord to phone the council back and tell them about the potential bed bugs and see if they can expedite collection.

That's true, but unless you do your due diligence you can be fined.

If there were bed bugs on the old mattress then there will now be bed bugs on the new mattress and anything else in the flat. Taking the old mattress out would have very little impact on the flat. You need to get the landlord to fumigate the whole flat and you need to boil wash your clothes and shoes.

I would normally say landlord’s responsibility to get rid of an old mattress but if it was in good nick and you had taken responsibility for a change because you object to it not being brand new then it would still be your responsibility. The additional occupants are a whole flat issue not just a mattress one.

They might be less keen to put bed bugs in their van

Take pics of the bugs every time you see one. Check with Google to see if they really are bed bugs. If you get bitten, take pictures of the bites - you tend to see three in a line if it’s bed bugs. It will prove to the landlord that there is a bed bug problem. If you moved into a property that had bed bugs when you moved in, it is the landlord’s responsibility to deal with them. That will require repeated visits, several weeks apart, from a pest control company.

In the meantime, get bed bug isolators for your bed and bug-proof covers for your mattress and pillows. Keep a can of bed bug spray handy for any you see. Boil wash all bedding and use a hot setting on your tumble dryer. Duvets can’t be boiled, so they will have to be replaced. You can get bug proof duvet covers from Coastal Linen Supplies. If you have a divan base, that will be infested, and it will have to be replaced. If it’s a wooden or metal frame, dust it with Cimexa, especially around joints. Assuming you don’t have pets, dust Cimexa on the floorboards/ carpets under and around the bed, and don’t hoover for a month.

If you are getting bitten, you may not react at all - some people don’t. If you do react, the spots may come up and get itchy as many as 18-24 hours after you were actually bitten. Check the bed clothes around 2-3am - you’re most likely to see live bugs in your bed then. Wear close fitting pyjamas and socks in bed, and you’ll only get bitten on your face and neck. If they do itch, applying a very hot wet flannel to the spots will stop the itching.

Can you tell I’ve been through this?

If bedbugs were in the mattress, it’s likely they’re in your flat!

Yeah, if the mattresses had bed bugs in your flat, all your stuff now has bed bugs... including your new mattresses.

Not really the point of the thread, but do people assume everyone has the means to just take shit to the tip - like on the tube? 🙄

I'd move!

Yes, finding out about the bugs needs to be your first priority.

You’d be taking the bed bugs with you

You need to evidence the bugs and get the landlord to sort this! The landlord should be removing them, assuming there’s an infestation, and arranging for pest control at the flat.

Not many tubes in Croydon.

Plenty of van hire or licensed/non flytipping services, though.