There's a huge rat in the bathroom. WTF do I do?!

[ChanandlerBongsNeighbour]

Second night in rented first floor flat. Went to the loo, as I was sitting down something caught my eye at the side, as I turned to look a HUUGE rat ran along the side of the bath towards me/the toilet. I screamed and ran out and it went behind the toilet. DH and I cautiously went back in (once he had recovered from the sight of me running out of the bathroom straight into the living room with my trousers and knickers round my knees!!). As we were discussing it, the rat peeked out from the cavity behind the toilet. Short term, we have barricaded the cavity behind the toilet with thick cardboard and shut the door and stuffed the gap under the door with cardboard. Can't get hold of letting agent. What happens now?

Much rather a rat to deal with than a spider!

Rats are often found in wall cavities, even when you don't have a rat 'problem'.

I really wouldn't bother sealing it into the cavity, it will just find another exit. I would rather it had free roam of the bathroom in the hope it will return there tomorrow when you have a trap down to get it.

I'm hoping there must be an exit in the cavity that it will make its way back out of! Roll on 9am so I can get on the phone to the letting agent!!

Managed some sleep although my ears pricked up at every single noise!! Ringing agent now!!

Ha the lady at the agency reacted with much the same horror as me so she's sending someone round asap!!!!

How did it go OP? Did they send someone?

Pest control came this morning, pulled off bath panels in both bathrooms and kickboards in kitchen. We officially have a 'rat problem'.

Debating with DH as to whether this could give us grounds to be released from our 6 month contract! Really don't feel comfortable here now, it has taken the shine off our new start! (We relocated here from 250 miles away!) A huge emotional upheaval for us that this has not helped in the slightest!!!

BURN THE PLACE TO THE GROUND

Don't debate! Get round to the agents and tear your contract up!

I'd get a bulldozer & do the landlord a favour!

I would leave, I cant see how they can stop you

Sadly I don't think it is OP, especially dependant on how the agency react to it. I was released early once from a 6 month tenancy, they had no obligation to do so, but we had so many problems so basically I was calling them every day, they got to peed off that they released us!! So just pester them constantly!

Well despite the first lady I spoke to at the agency being as horrified as I was, we had to ring back a few hours later (as had heard nothing by then), DH spoke to a different lady who tried to fob us off with the promise of their odd-job/handy-man coming round to have a look. DH had to sternly insist on qualified pest control or he would take it further! Thankfully the pest control man that did come round was great! He's coming back on Friday to follow up. Still leaves me jittery and jumpy in the flat though!!

That's the thing Thelionqueen1, I already feel like they've got us pegged as troublemakers as we've been on the phone about different things a few times already! We've not even been here a week yet!!

Little things like nearly all the lights not working, microwave oven not working, leaking shower seal which flood the floor when you shower and drippy shower head! (I could go on!!). I could have handled all that but the rat is just too far! And worse is knowing they don't give a shit!

That's what ours was like! Just put everything in writing/on email if you can!

You're troublemakers when they're the ones who've created the problem?

I'd ask to be released from the contract.

WTF - I'm shaking racing this. Check the terms of your contract. Tell them you are staying in a hotel until this is sorted out to your complete satisfaction. Hotel costs will be deducted from your rental payments. If they don't sort this out, you are leaving permanently and, if they sue you, you will be in the local paper etc disclosing the exact address so all nice and google-able for any other prospective tenants

We're novice renters so no idea what to expect! (Although clearly not a fat fucking RAT scampering across the bloody bathroom!!).

OP I am a landlord and if you were my tenant I would be horrified, embarrassed and ashamed.

Feelings aside, protocol around how to respond in this situation should be clearly outlined in your tenancy agreement, including how to proceed and allocate costs when temporary accommodation is necessary.

The issue that you may come up against is whether the landlords service charge or insurance policies cover infestations, meaning that the landlord may have to bear the cost of the treatment and also any time you're staying away himself. I haven't checked my LL insurance but I do know it's not covered in our home policies as I checked. S/he will be much less accommodating knowing they have to pay for it all than if it were covered. Even if treatment is covered, it's unlikely that costs of alternative accommodation would be.

Personally I would absolutely release you from the contract and deal with the problem properly. It's very unlikely you're the only property in the building with the issue though so it could be quite major. The cost of resolving this issue is an unknown at the moment and your landlord may find it's cheaper to have the place unoccupied than to cover your staying elsewhere etc.

If you do leave though, the other issue then becomes sunk costs such as tenancy agreement fees, inventories, pre-tenancy cleans (and you might find yourself paying for post tenancy also) background checks, TDS fees etc. It's not that straightforward just to let someone go.

Personally I look to my letting agent for contract advice (but I manage our property myself otherwise), you need to be escalating this as far as possible. I find it impossible to believe that no signs of this were picked up in the inventory inspection and if the agent has rented out the property before they could also have known about it. There is a chance you could push it back on them too, did you inspect the property on arrival and did you see anything (even with hindsight) that looked suspicious?

Have a set of clear what if questions ready to email tomorrow morning and tell them you want an answer by cob tomorrow. Good luck.

Thank you fruitboxjury, lots of food for thought there!

Funnily enough, when we moved in there was a plug in type thing in one of the sockets in the hallway, I just assumed it was an air freshener thing but after googling pest control etc I realised it could be an ultrasonic pest repellent device (this was then confirmed by the pest control man). He also found (empty) mousetraps behind the kitchen kickboards. So clearly SOMEBODY at some point has realised there was/is a potential pest problem!

I am too dealing with the same thing in my home. It has become a real headache for me. Have adapted the various measures but didn't got rid of that nasty rat. My aunt is referring me to take the help from rodent control CT team for better elimination of such things. Hope so that all goes really well.