Can we force our neighbours to treat their bedbug infestation?

[BedbugsHelp]

Hi all I posted here a little while back about bedbugs coming in from next door and our tenants who were being difficult. It's all moved on now, they have left (we had to settle with a mediator, which wasn't great for us) and we're now in a battle with the neighbours who have the severe infestation which is the source of our problems.

Any advice on whether we can enforce the tenants/landlords (they are social housing, and he house is owned and managed by a private sector housing company, on contract with the council) to treat their property?

We have proposed to pay for a full treatment and decontamination service for the neighbours (not cheap, could be around GBP 5000), and they refuse to move anything from their property and deny there is an infestation. We have had third party inspectors in next door (landlords and tenants consented to this) who reported that there are loads of bedbugs still in there.

The landlord thinks they've treated it, the tenants think there isn't a problem, we know there is one and have proposed to pay for an effective solution. The bugs come through teeny tiny -normal - holes in the brickwork and there is no way of sealing off our property. As a result we can't let our property knowing that it is at risk of infestation so are losing loads of money. I mean we could probably legally show we've done everything we could but I don't want to put anyone through the ordeal of bedbugs, especially a family.

We've kept the council (environmental health and enforement teams) in the loop and they've been pretty supportive so far.

So. Advice? Do we get lawyers involved? Can the council really enforce treatment and decontamination of belongings? has anyone had experience of this?

We're desperate now - we're paying both mortgage on our house and rent where we live, paying for treatments and inspections, no end in sight...

Thanks all. I've cross posted in the legal matters topic as well in case of any ideas there.

Jeeze.
Bumping for you.
What a complete nightmare.
I make DD freeze any vintage clothes she has purchased from eBay for 48 hours before washing.

No help to you but I'm super paranoid.

@stayathomegardener thanks so much - I never thought I'd know so much about them but here we are and I'm now extremely paranoid!! Your DD could also wash her clothes in 60+ degree water and any bedbugs would be killed. The fact that they can come THROUGH THE WALLS is pretty bloody terrifying...

As far as I'm aware no you can't. Environmental health may enforce the landlord treating but they're unlikely to specify what treatment.

As an aside though have you really been quoted £5k? What on earth are they doing for that?! OH Is a Longdon pest controller and even his biggest/worst infected properties wouldn't come anywhere near that price to treat and clear!

The other problem you will have is even if you find some way to force treatment you will need the tenants cooperation for it to be successful. Clothes bedding etc will all need washing at the same time as each treatment is carried out and if wardrobes and draws etc aren't emptied it can really drag things out.

Thanks @icclemunchy. It's a really severe infestation which appears to be resistant to the standard chemical treatment (which is much cheaper too), so the cost is for heat treatment and more robust decontaination (don't know details yet). The property is full of bags and boxes of items that are clearly infested so all need to be decontaminated (or thrown out - but this is unlikely to be agreed to) so while fabric can be washed, furniture and other items will need to be decontaminated. The price includes time to help/carry out all the bagging up and removal of items because tenants aren't physically capable of doing it themselves even if they were to consent. I should have mentioned that in my original post.

They've had the infestation for 18+ months apparently, and there are thousands of bugs.. it's really sad and we've been respectful and polite so far, but my compassion for them is wearing pretty thin as they are being so obstructive.

Has your DH has experience of this going through legal channels? Any advice/recommendations would be really helpful, and if he is keen to take a look and provide advice please do PM me!

There is a facility in law known as private nuisance. You could make an application to court, but best to send a letter before action advising them of your intention to sue for damages following the infestation and their refusal to take steps to ensure the nuisance is eradicated. You are suing for an order that they take steps to eradicate the infestation, compensation for losses caused through you having to take steps to eradicate the bed bugs from your property and losses caused by being unable to let your property. The problem you have is showing that on the balance of probabilities the bed bugs were introduced by the neighbours and not by your tenants. An expert report could be produced for the court but my view is the causation will be very difficult to prove. However, Moving forward, you need to have a dialogue with the managers and owners of the property to get them to take the appropriate steps. Try getting the involvement of EH as they do deal with these type of issues all the time. If the tenants are refusing to deal with the problem, the management need to move them out while the property is dealt with, but unfortunately this involves disposing of infested bedding, including mattresses and even carpets. Ultimately, they might have to seek a possession order in order to get them out of the property to deal with it. This might be very difficult, not ĺeast because they probably have a secure tenancy, but not impossible. This is a significant problem for the tenants who may not be able to afford to replace the items. There should be some form of tenancy support they might be able to get help with costs which might help them to take the right steps. Put everything in writing and if you can't get the management co to listen you can always take a complaint to the local ombudsman or housing ombudsman for their failure to deal with the problem, (Google it to check which one) but you have to make a complaint to the council first and give them 8 weeks for a substantive response before going to the ombudsman. Don't talk to people over the phone because it's a waste of time. Write letters, attach to an email to send or post. Hope this helps.

I thought bedbugs were tiny invisible things that could not be seen, can you actually see them coming through walls?

I’m no help but I would move house.

I don't have any specific advice, other than that this might be the time to lawyer up.

I'm so sorry you are going through this, it is beyond unreasonable of your neighbours.

Following with interest as a family member is having the exact same problem, except they are living next to an infested house which has now infested theirs. It has been reported to EH as the tenants threw all their bedroom furniture out in the back garden and left it there, which then attracted rats!

Is their legal cover on your insurance OP? I'd speak to them.

Is there - bloody phone!

Would be cheaper to remove everything from your house, strip the floor boards back, fill all the gaps with plaster and foam and put everything back.

Hi @lirpaloof that sounds pretty horrid.. makes you wonder what is wrong with people.. hope their situation improves

@jon66 thanks for the detailed advice, that's really helpful. We're setting up a claim against the landlords although it's a slow process and doesn't help in ensuring that the issue is actually treated! Could definitely do with some cash though to cover all the costs we've had to cover as a result of their crappy management

@3luckystars - you can see them, and they leave lots of 'evidence' of living in your bed which is super gross. THey can travel throgh the brickwork and then go under the floor boards, so I understand.. Unfortunately we;re the landlord/homeowner so can't really escape it..

@johnd2 everything is now removed from our house as our tenants are long gone (it is an unfurnished let). We're told by the experts that no amount of sealant will keep the buggers out - they find their way through miniscule gaps in brickwork.. I wish we could just seal ourselves off from the issue and be done with it!

@wowfudge yes we have some legal cover to go through the small claims issue although not sure about how we would enforce effective treatments through the courts. We're still willing to pay for it so essentially need a judge to say they have to agree to our plan and let us get on with it...

Hopefully a bit of added pressure to the tenants to say that the disruption will take place whether it's through our treatment or their landlord's treatment, and we're not going to go away. I think they're just hoping we'll leave them and their colony of bedbugs alone, but they are mistaken!

If I were their landlord, I would want them out if they won't co-operate in order for the place to be properly treated. Sounds grim.

It is social housing so there is no individual landlord to care.

Ok if that then Polly sheet then screw plasterboard through then skim. Same process as remove air leakage. If the joists go into that wall it'll be tricky but otherwise shouldn't be impossible

@specialsubject and @wowfudge - the landlord is a large private housing company (i won't say which) and they take he position that they've treated it.. despite our evidence that suggests otherwise.. although they don't seem to mind us coming in and paying for a better treatment (funny that..)

@johnd2 -would that be along all adjoining walls (including below floorboards)?

Large commercial landlords are often worse than the worst private landlords, with the additional problem that with lots of properties they really don't need to care as long as rent is being paid.

I've no idea how you force them to stop wrecking your property but hopefully someone else does.

You need a lawyer. The court will order a treatment and damages for your lost rent.

Christ OP you must be stressed out of your box.

What are the remnants next door like? Have you had much, if any direct contact with them? They must be batshot not to be able to acknowledge there’s an infestation, there’s some seriously strange people out there... who the hell would willingly live with such a bad infestation?

It sounds like your only option is to lawyer up and go in deep. This isn’t a sustainable situation for you either financially or emotionally.

Tenants!!! Omg where did predictive text get remnants from

A Registered Social Landlord (HA) ought to have a formal complaints procedure on its website. If you dont get a satisfactory response you ought to be able to escalate it to the Homes and Communities Agency. You should also be able to complain to your Councils Environmental Health.

Prepare a good letter setting out your complaint and evidence and use both avenues.

I would also consider a lawyers letter. The way to move bureaucracy is to get enough head of steam that it is easier to deal with the problem than deal with escalating complaints. RSLs hate escalated complaints to their regulator as they can affect their rating.

Hi, I have almost the exact same issue! What was the end outcome please? I am considering trying to sue for damages. I would be really grateful on any advice you may have please. Thank you! Lucy