Abandoned house and pest control issues...

[FuckMyLife2021]

Not sure if this is the right place to post or not, and I’ve NCed for it.

It’s a long one

Background:

I’m a tenant. 3DC. Student. Single parent. MH issues that I’m under a Psych for and ADHD which I’m on medication for.

Terraced houses.

I live next to an abandoned house.

2 weeks ago, heard scratching in the kitchen ceiling (bathroom above), next day came down to debris all over my worktop.

Called Pest Control who confirmed rats. Apparently not IN my home but in the walls/ceilings, but the debris does contain rat pop, they found that my outside toilet (which I’ve never used in the 3 years I’ve been here) has broken benching, is dry and suggested calling the local water board to check the sewers.

That was done yesterday.

Report states that there is one drain on my property partially capped off requiring further investigation, which my LL will have to pay for (£500ish).

And that there’s significant debris in the pipe leading to the abandoned house, confirming a rat infestation of the pipe work.

However they can’t do further surveys/investigations without the owner of next door giving consent/paying.

I’ve been in touch with EH and the local abandoned property section of my council multiple times in the last 18 months, because there’s been fly tipping on the garden, and, oddly, two of the windows are fully open and have been for 15 months now (attic and bedroom).

They’ve been useless. Haven’t been able to contact the owner.

Now I have a rat issue caused by that house. EH have said 15 working days for a call from them to discuss the issue, despite me uploading all evidence to the online portal.

I have severe anxiety and basically packed our bags and left the house; the first week I used Airbnb and this week I’m with a friend, but next week my DC need to be back in school but with my MH there’s no way I can go back, and as a full time STEM student/very very part time worker I can’t afford any more Airbnb and pay my rent at the same time.

Apologies for the info dump but I’m desperate for some advice (and please, please do not mock me for not being able to go back home; I feel stupid enough as it is) re abandoned homes and pest control and generally how long would it take for EH to go in without the owners permission and lay poison/traps? Will the water board be able to do the same? Will the issue continue even after these are done due to the dry plumbing system next door?

Surely it’s your LLs responsibility.
I am one and would prefer to know what the situation was and try to rectify it.
I think you should contact them. I’d want you to.
Good luck

EH should be able to pay for the works then put a charge on the property, so that when it's next sold, the money is taken to repay the council. Have you phoned them or emailed? I would phone and explain if you haven't already. They may treat it more urgently, you never know. Horrendous though. Also you may have something in your rental agreement about not paying rent if the property is uninhabitable.

Have you tried environmental health directly rather than the abandoned house team?

What has your landlord said? They might be able to push on your behalf if they think their property is at risk of damage/infestation.

We had a similar issue (but no rats) and EH were really useful, so all I can say is keep trying them, go via the phone rather than email. Speak to your local councillor as well.

So sorry you are having to deal with this on top of everything else! I have been a student parent and it is no small thing. So hats off to you for coping with what's on your plate.
You've done all the right things so far - and well done for that also cos that's an achievement too.
The only thing I could think of for you to try would be to check what the service delivery promise of the EH team is (i.e. the time it should take from raising the issue to resolution, and steps along the way) if they have failed on those (and it looks to me like they will have) you could make a complaint to senior EH manager or council leader to force them to help.
EH officers have teeth backed by regulatory legislation to be able to get things done so they need to use them, as this is just the sort of situation it is for! The policy and management of the council will be influencing how willing they are to start throwing their weight around but they could if they wanted to.
You need to use the fact that the DC are at risk and their own stated service response promises to push them (shouldn't have to of course, but here we are anyway). Find out your rights and demand them.
Do you have anyone who can help you with any of this at all as holding people to account is daunting when you are already spinning a lot of plates?
Your landlord isn't going to be able to do much about rats which are getting in from a neighbouring property, their access would need to be blocked which would likely need to be done next door. So EH need to step in.
Failing that, moving house is the next option, but that's hardly easy. :(

Thanks for the replies.

My phones been ringing constantly this morning.

My Uni support worker is involved, has contacted my LL on my behalf, and has sent an email to her contact at EH. She will be dealing with LL and EH and feeding back to me as I’m in the middle of my exams (of course).

EH have said they are working with AH to find and contact the owner, who will be told to do the works and if not, they’ll get a legal notice giving whoever it is, 21 days, and then if nothing is still done, they will go in and do it.

LL says it’s been abandoned for well over a decade.

I’d love to move (had already been looking at moving to a nicer area), but every EA or LL wants 6 months upfront AND Guarantor.

I don't think anyone would mock you for not wanting to go back
I wouldn't either!
It sounds like you've done everything you can. The only thing I can think of is to ask your landlord if he has any other properties?
I hope he has st least offered to reduce your rent as it's not habitable.

www.youspotproperty.com/

As an aside, see if you can make some money if these guys buy it!

I'm really glad you have some support from your uni. Good luck getting it sorted, that's just so unpleasant on top of everything else.

Good to hear the Appropriate agencies are doing something and will take action if nothing happens. This is unusual.

The problem with being unable to move is because rent has been optional for the last 18 months so landlords are very cautious. You could try shelter for help - oh no. Silly me. They are the housing charity that provide no housing.

Does your uni have a hardship fund you could apply to for bond/ rent upfront? I would get the hell out of there it at all possible.

Does your landlord have any other properties? Otherwise try housing services at the council

Again, thanks.

I’ve always paid my rent on time, in fact I pay it 3 months in advance in order to make sure that it’s paid and it was pretty much the only way I could get a private rental in the first place when I was first accepted to Uni. Was previously a council tenant. Would not like to go back to that, it was a seriously unpleasant few years. But this is unpleasant in a completely different way

EH have said they will contact another department they have about a temporary short term rental, but I’m not pinning my hopes on that.

LL is now hammering me for not telling them immediately But they are aggressive people who are convinced they are reasonable... They are not. The law is a grey area so until I had evidence it was not my fault or issue to solve, I didn’t see the point in further heightening my stress levels.

As soon as the report hit my email I alerted my LL, who told me I had to call and “explain myself” (despite having a comprehensive report and speaking to my Uni support worker)... And further proving why they’re UR assholes (private rented for a decade before being a council tenant and have never experienced anything like this one).

All I can say is thank fuck for Diazepam and my friend who is putting a roof over our heads.

This is awful. I haven't rented for decades but I can confirm that landlords/management agents do not give a shit unless they think they are going to be held liable.

Your landlord is projecting because he knows that your home could be condemned by his inaction.

You will soon be qualified and out of there!

It’s got worse.

My LL has called multiple departments in my council asking them to force me to relinquish my tenancy agreement early. They can’t evict me as it’s classed as revenge eviction yet they’re trying to make me leave of my own accord. Which I would if I had the money to move.

The EH person I’m dealing with has emailed her to confirm the house isn’t for for living in right now, to try and make her back off. My Uni support worker has done the same (LL also called her!)

EH have been given permission by the abandoned house owner to go in next week and do whatever’s needed. He’s claiming his tenant did a bunk, but he’s a lying asshole as there has never been a tenant there.

The whole thing is a mess. I think me and my DC are going to end up in temporary accommodation as Housing Aid called me immediately after she had called them.

Everyone is calling it “stalemate”.

No. My LL wants me out so she can rent it out to some poor fucker who isn’t aware that the sewer pipes under her property need serious remedial works due to rats. That’s not stalemate. That’s her being a fucking bully.

This is not good news. I'm so sorry to hear this.
I have had dealings with this organisation and they are good, they are getting to professionalise landlords, for best practice and know the legal situation.
www.nrla.org.uk/join?gclid=Cj0KCQjwweyFBhDvARIsAA67M727t__vv_I52SPxPjeaiAJiSNfKxM2CZnNVCngwKlRsqU8jY62QdpcaAouJEALw_wcB

Could you get in touch, give a calm not emotive account and ask if they have any suggestions...

Though I suppose the they aren't a tenancy advice service. But they might be able to signpost you, or if your LL is a member advise her against what she's doing.

Have you contacted your University's accommodation office? They may be able to offer you some form of housing without the need for a large deposit/payment in advance. Also, most universities have hardship funds and law advice services that students can access. I would utilise all of the help you can through your university-particularly in terms of practical support.

My LL is now being served a disrepair order and notice that if she does not do the works listed then the council will and she will be billed and fined.

My local MP has got involved and has found me a specialist housing solicitor who is taking my case on for free. She is determined that within the next few weeks my house will be rat free and any entry points blocked up properly, and the sewer issues fixed, with me moving back in and she strongly advised court action against my LL from myself as well as the council.

My Psychiatrist has written a damning letter about the state of my MH due to this

Have you contacted your local housing department for assistance, they might be able to help with temporary accommodation till your home is habitable.

Again, good to hear that the appropriate agencies are actually doing something. And you have an MP that is helping which is amazing, most of them are lazy corrupt fuckers so it is reassuring that some are of use.

Thanks for the update - again, forget about shelter who are just a campaigning organisation with a not well hidden agenda, not a housing provider.

I’m lucky that I have a great friend who is happy to have me here as long as needed. My elder 2 are with my ex PILS so they can attend school, ex MIL is loving it as are my DC, so that’s a huge weight off. My youngest is with me, she’s happy enough so far as she’s with her “bestie” every day.

Temp accom here is dire, they don’t actually have anywhere for all 4 of us to stay and the places for me and my youngest are just vile and I’d rather not go down that road if I can avoid it.

Shelter aren’t even on my list of people to contact!

My MP is great, very active in the community and I’ve met her a few times in person.

LL is at risk of losing her rental licence if she doesn’t do the work needed herself, I don’t know why she would risk that when that licence is needed to be able to rent properties in my area and she has around 10 rentals. Nor do I know why she thought the council wouldn’t take any of this seriously

Uni have been supportive and I’m waiting on the exam board meeting at the end of the month to hear what will happen with the 2 exams that have been fucked up by this. They were my easiest exams and I just couldn’t bloody focus to do them (I managed half of each).

Landlady has finally authorised the excavation and repairs, but work can’t commence until the 28th. EH have said all the drains/soil pipes need replacing and my boiler too as there’s a huge hole behind it?! Jesus wept.