Old landlord wants to charge us for fleas

[Clarabellawilliamson]

Hi all, I wasn't sure where to post this but thought you guys might have an opinion!

We moved out of our rental about 8 weeks ago, not sure when the new tenants moved in but I just had an email from our old landlord saying that they have an infestation of fleas from our cat.

We were inspected (by him) when we left and he returned our deposit in full, but he would like to bill us for fumigation costs/ sorting it.

My husband says point blank no, we're not paying it but I'm in two minds because it clearly was our cat that caused the issue!

What would you do?

I should add, we do de flea her but you j ow how hard it can be to totally eradicate them!

I think if you know they were caused by your cat then you should really pay up but it was only noticed 8 weeks later....? 🤔

I would pay.

I’d be mortified and pay. Imagine that landlord now, they probably won’t let any future tenants have pets. Imagine needing to move again and no landlord will let to you because they’ve all had an experience like this with pet owners. Imagine having to face the prospect of rehoming a beloved pet vs being homeless. I’d pay up and be profoundly apologetic.

I would pay.

How much is he charging for this "infestation"

It's fairly easy to find fleas for free

@Cheesecakejar

I think if you know they were caused by your cat then you should really pay up but it was only noticed 8 weeks later....? 🤔

Flea eggs can lay dormant in an empty house, they hatch out again when the temperature tells them that there are potential hosts living there once again. Also, if you’re just in cleaning/viewing a property, you might not notice an infestation, particularly if you do not react to the bites that much. It’s different when you’re living there fulltime. I’ve had this in a previous property i lived in in my 20s. After a couple of months we suddenly noticed flea poo on our indoor house bunny. Then one morning i got out of bed and a flea got out after me. Grim af.

Tbf is actually very easy to eradicate fleas. I’ve had up to 13 rescue cats at one time and I’ve never had an infestation. I use the johnsons aerosols In every room plus frontline on the cats if I ever see evidence of fleas. Having said that, it’s also an easy way to extort money from you!

Hmmm... I’d be asking how long the new tenants had been in. If they’ve been in for more than a couple of weeks it could have been them and there’s no way to prove otherwise. Surely if it was your cat you’d have a flea infestation in the new place?

Sorry, I mean Advantage, Frontline is no longer effective.

The fleas would have come out after you left when they had no cat to feed on. If new tenants moved in then their furniture would need to be treated and maybe they want some things replaced. If the flat is fumigated then the new tenants may have to temporarily move out. If its a bad infestation it takes more than just a room spray. How much is he asking. Could you get quotes yourself.

...it clearly was our cat that caused the issue!

How can the landlord possibly know this? You've been gone for two months. A rat could have brought them in, the new renters might have. The landlord inspected the property and gave you your full deposit back. It was then their responsibility to clean/fumigate the flat to get it ready for the new tenants. I would tell him to jog on.

I’d price a couple of cans of flea spray from the rooms (can’t remember the name of it) and tell him that’s what you’ll pay.

Depends on how long was left between you moving out and them moving in I think.

Did your cat have fleas before you left/when you left?

If it was your cat, you have to pay, it was your fault.

You’ll know because your cat will have brought fleas with her / him to wherever you went next!

It’s really quite entitled and rude not to pay, if it was your cat, sorry.

I would pay. The fact that he paid your deposit back in full shows his character (i.e. fair and no attempt to rip you off).

Has your DH said why he doesn't want to pay?

The Indorex spray from my vets is about £20 a can and would bring down an elephant. Could you compromise by offering to pay for a few cans of that, depending how big the house is?

Are you currently renting elsewhere or have you bought your own property?

@nancybotwinbloom

Depends on how long was left between you moving out and them moving in I think.

Did your cat have fleas before you left/when you left?

That's only the Adult fleas though, eggs can survive months.

If you suspect/know it was your cat that’s caused it, the morally correct thing is to obviously pay, your partner sounds rather unpleasant if he’s prepared to leave your ex landlord out of pocket.

Fleas can lay dormant until things like hoovering wakes them.

Thats probably whats happened.

Your cat gave the house fleas, of course you should pay and apologise. Please don’t give renters with pets a bad name

I'd pay up. It's very unfair to have your pet infest a house (even unknowingly) and leave the problem to someone else.

I bought a house from a couple with cats. I had no pets. A few months after moving in I had fleas. They’d hatched from the carpets. It was grim.