Rental property - fleas!

[PaigeTurner]

Just moved into lovely new rented place, and found out we have visitors!

I have a cat, he is in cattery while we moved, and had a check up by a vet before he went in who said he had no fleas.

I'm concious that we could have bought the fleas with us in furniture or whatever and so don't want to ring the landlord and accuse them of leaving fleas - they apparently did have the carpets cleaned which I believe does do most of them in... BUT, I have several flea bites on my ankles which I reckon is from the carpets.

Should I tell the landlord and ask him to fumigate or should I just get it done myself? Feels like a bit of a sensitive subject!

I am sure they can be dormant in carpets - so they are not necessarily from your cat

did the previous tenant have pets. Just shampooing the carpet won't have got rid of them I don't think unless they had them defumigated at the same time.

I'm not sure but I think they did have an animal.

My cat has not been in the property yet as we are still unpacking. He is in a cattery still.

It does rile me a bit that my contract states I have to fumigate on exit, yet that hasn't been done before I moved in.

Just feel that I can't 100% prove there were fleas before I moved my furniture in, therefore landlord bound to be arsey about it.

Btw, landlord was previously living here, hence sensitivity, don't want to rock the boat before we've started.

Well if your cat isn't even there yet I don't see how it can be your fault to be honest.

how about you phone a fumigator and ask them for their advice - then you can present landlord with the facts.

Yep probably dormant in the carpet and woken up now the heating has come on. Will the vet write you a letter confirming that your cat is flea-free? That might help!

Yes, thanks, will call fumigator and see what they say.

Go to the vets buy a can of Acclaim, hover, spray carpets job done - less than £20.

Agree with Lizcat. You don't need to fumigate. The stuff you can buy from the vet will do the trick. When we moved into our last house, the place was riddled with fleas and I was being bitten to death. The stuff from the vet worked a treat, but do concentrate on the bits close to the skirting boards, especially under radiators.

...and keep hoovering