Pls Help, private tennant needs help/advice for infested flat!?

Question

My mum moved into a flat about 1 month ago. She came out in what looked like chicken pox, but turned out to be bed bug bites. When she moved in all her furniture was brand new. The place where she lives is like an old wattle and dawb house, we only found these bugs along 1 wall. Her landlord has gone bonkers, claiming she brought the bugs in with her. Thats obviously not the case, but he's being very unhelpful.

What are her rights, what can she do? She's had to have time off work, biopsie's alsorts, its been a nightmare, please help.

The bed was brand new, as was the matress. All her furniture and curatins, bed linnen, pillows, everything was new.

Answer 1

talk to Environmental Health they'll be able to tell you the cause and the length of the infestation.

Also take photos and document every conversation you have had with your landlord and the treatments she has had. i.e doctors appointments etc.

Go to the citizens advice bureau and they'll give you free confidential advice.

Also depending upon the Environmental report go to a solicitor and seek compensation from them.

Answer 2

The funny thing about bedbugs is that some people react badly and some do not react at all. I develop hives and am so sensitive that hives develop when I place my arm on some part of a piece of furniture where a bug crawled.

However you have to live in this place till things are sorted. Mattresses/ blankets should be exposed to sunlight. A Baygon mist spray would help if you are not allergic. It has long residual action. Infant stages of the bugs will be holed up in crevices in the walls around till at least about 4 -5 feet. Spray the walls too. Cover every nook and corner of the bed, mattress etc. The big ones are adult and have had a fantastic blood meal...and are ready to lay eggs. You're fighting an alien army. Don't know your social system but you will need sleep. Good luck.

Answer 3

Get in touch with local council. They have pest team who could spray the infested area. As it is rented ask them to send bill to her landlord.

Get a professional pest controller to do a report outlining what the problem is and where it is and the length of time the problem has been there.

Withhold rent by putting it somewhere safe (savings account) until the landlord cleans up the house.

Environmental health are very nice people, contact them.

Just because the furniture is new, do not assume that the bugs were not in it.

Hope these pointers help.

Answer 4

Contact the Housing Authority in your area.
Contact the landlord and tell him to take care of the problem.
Or you can take care of the problem yourself by contacting a pest control agency and give the bill to the landlord. (Be careful if you do that, you could end up paying the pest control yourself and trying to get reimbursement from the landlord).
Get doctor's statements that these bites are fresh and not weeks or months old, just in case you have to take it to court.
Keep a copy of the pest control receipt for court, just in case it goes there.
Take pics of the bites if they're still showing, again for court should it go there.
I'd try to take him to court seeing as how he's cost her pay for being off work, and try to get that back along with the doctor's bills and any other bill that's accrued because of this incident.
Of course, there is the chance that it would cost more in the long run than just getting the problem taken care of and getting it over with. At the very least, I'd arrange to move and I'd do it as soon as possible.

Answer 5

This is a difficult one for her .There is no evidence to indicate where the bugs came from so liability will be almost inposible to prove . The most logical way forward is to
A,Get rid of the little vermins by using a proffesional company,
B, negotiate with the landlord about the cost ie 50/50.
C,Treat her to a new bed. house bugs rerely bite humans but cat and dog fleas can attack . In those older type houses there will always be free loading bugs of one sort or another

Answer 6

i do no longer think of you will properly be in England with the aid of fact over right here that's totally complicated to get a enable that's no longer 6 months or greater. We desire long shall we, the longer the greater desirable as long with the aid of fact the tenant is paying the hire. each and each time a place comes empty you unfastened hire, would desire to positioned money into getting it waiting for the subsequent human beings, pay for brand spanking new agreements to be signed and so on. The brokers desire to do a year so regardless of if the tenant needs to resume the hire would properly be submit and that they'd cost for brand spanking new agreements. the only subject with very long shall we is the maintenance. that's plenty much less complicated to get places carried out up whilst no person is in them particularly than working around them. Sorry you probably did no longer get a landlord who fastened your issues - those type provide us all a foul call. Why did you reside there so long - why did no longer you come across a greater physically powerful place. Are you renting lower back or procuring? If procuring you will would desire to pay for each and all the maintenance your self. some tenants do in basic terms no longer care how they seem after a place as that's 'no longer there very own'. Thank goodness for harm deposits. maximum suitable of success on your next place.

Answer 7

Get in touch with her local council and explain the situation to them, they will and can demand that the landlord has to treat the problem. I know this because I had a mould problem at my last flat and the landlord would not do anything about it, so I went to the council, they come out and done an inspection and then contacted my landlord on my behalf. Can't see your mums landlord arguing with the council because he could get fined if the problem is not sorted out.

Answer 8

Seems to me that the landlord will not accept liability even if he knew about it in the first place.

He has a legal duty of care to ensure the building is habitable wether he likes it or not!

Contact environmental health and ask them to visit.

Document everything.

If it is proven that the infestation existed prior to your mother moving in then sue the landlord in negligence through a good solicitor.

Good luck.

Answer 9

Either side needs to take the burden of proof to do anything.

Expensive and difficult.

Every bed had bed bugs. Start with a new mattress

Answer 10

Definitely get Environmental Health round. If they decide the place is unfit for human habitation, they will order him to sort it out. Also, he (the landlord) will have to pay for temporary accommodation for her.