Housing association says slugs under laminate flooring are my responsibility

[Harvey8585]

Hi all, Im wondering if anyone can give me some advice please.

I've been in my housing association house since 2017 and over the last five months I've found around 14 slugs in my living room, always appearing in roughly the same area and usually at night.
I've now actually seen them emerging from under the edge of the laminate flooring near the skirting board. The laminate was already in the property when I moved in and wasn't fitted by me. The section where they appear feels quite bouncy underfoot and the laminate looks like it may be starting to swell.
I reported it to my housing association for the first time today, but they told me slugs are a pest issue and entirely my responsibility, comparing it to having ants, and said the flooring is my responsibility because I've lived here since 2017. I'm reluctant to lift the laminate myself because it was there when I moved in and I'm worried I'd damage it or be expected to replace it if I couldn't put it back properly.
Would others consider this simply a pest problem that I should deal with myself, or is it reasonable to ask the landlord to investigate whether there's a defect, gap or damp issue beneath the flooring that's allowing the slugs in?

Here is a reply from Co-pilot

Your landlord is almost certainly wrong to dismiss this as “your problem”. The pattern you describe - 14 slugs over five months, always in the same area, appearing at night, in a property where the laminate was already installed - strongly suggests an entry point or structural defect, and UK housing law is very clear that this falls under the landlord’s responsibility.

A recurring slug ingress caused by gaps, damp, or structural defects is a landlord responsibility, not a tenant one. This is supported by multiple authoritative sources:

Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords must keep the structure and exterior in repair. If pests enter through defects, the landlord must fix the defect and treat the infestation.

Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, landlords must provide a home free from infestations and fit for habitation. A serious pest issue can make a home legally “unfit”.

If the slug problem existed before you moved in or is caused by disrepair, the landlord is likely responsible.

The Housing Ombudsman expects landlords to investigate pest reports, carry out timely inspections, and not place the onus on the resident until they have established the cause. , If the slugs are entering through a physical gap, the landlord must seal it

Write to the LL saying you are raising a formal complaint which if not dealt with will be referred to the Housing Ombudsman.

They left laminate down when you moved in... Is that referenced anywhere?