Pest and Rat infestations are not fun to deal with around Christmas time. It’s hard enough that you’re trying to make sense of whether or not there may be another lockdown at Christmas and make your plans surrounding it. You may be expecting guests over at Christmas time. However, last thing you expected was that you would have a pest or rat problem over at your house. That means you need to speak to your landlord about getting pest control over to sort out the infestation. If they fail to do so then they could be guilty of negligence. You could be owed compensation for any housing disrepairs that you have experienced due to a rat or mouse problem.
Gowing Law Solicitors will be here to support you if your house is suffering from a rat infestation. We want to make sure you have a comfortable Christmas. That’s why our law firm is ready to help with any type of house disrepair claim. We understand that it is a difficult time for you. That’s why we are determined to help. Find out more by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by visiting our website below:
What are the basics of housing disrepairs and claims?
One of the first things you need to understand about housing disrepair claims is that they are there to protect you when your home is damaged. Whether you have a council house or a home from the housing association, you need to know that your landlord is responsible for the upkeep. They need to ensure that you are safe when you live in this home with your family. If a part of your home is damaged by time, natural disaster or bad luck, they will be required to fix the damages. You did not cause the disrepairs yourself, therefore it is your landlord’s responsibility to have them fixed. When you notice a disrepair, you should do the following to ensure the problem is sorted out smoothly:
Make sure to give your landlord at least one month’s notice to get the disrepair fixed. If they fail to help you then you may need to get started on making a housing disrepair. This is due to the fact that you have started to suffer from your landlord’s negligence, especially if they have left the disrepair to get worse. Examples of landlord negligence can include:
- Having your requests for help ignored
- Your landlord gets angry or violent with you
- The disrepairs are repaired cheaply by your landlord and are dangerous
- Your landlord makes the disrepairs worse
Your landlord should be trying to help get the disrepairs fixed. However, if they fail to do it in a timely manner, the disrepairs may end up getting worse. That’s why it’s crucial that you get started on a Housing Disrepair Claim. We don’t want your Christmas to be ruined. It’s been a hard year and you deserve to have a break. You can rely on our team of specialists to assist you.
How could rat and mice become housing disrepairs?
During the winter time, vermin will want to enter your home because it is warm and they are looking for a cosy spot to make their nest. Keep an eye out for any:
- Loose roofing
- Cracks in the exterior of your house
- Holes in your roofing
- Spaces in your floor boards
- Hidden/ exposed areas in your garden, fence, basement or garage
These small areas of exposure can make it very easy for a rat or mouse to slip inside your home to start making its nest. Rats and mice would not be a problem if they did not spread disease. Unfortunately, diseases from vermin can have serious effects, especially on children and the elderly. The aftermath of contracting an illness from a rat or mouse can take months to overcome.
You can catch a disease from a rat or mouse by:
There are a wide variety of diseases that can be spread by mice and rats. They can even be spread to dogs and cats that eat them. After all, if they have worms, the worms could be passed on to your furry friends! It is likely that you could catch a disease from a rat infestation. Potential diseases include:
- Rat bite fever
- Toxoplasmosis
Tularaemia - Echinococcosis
- Weil’s Disease
- Salmonellosis
If you feel ill or have any symptoms of the aforementioned illnesses, you should see a doctor as quickly as possible. You could end up with some serious side effects and may need future treatment if you leave it to get worse. By suffering from a personal injury during a housing disrepair claim, this could make you eligible for compensation.
Housing Disrepairs: How do I know if I have a rat infestation?
There are many signs of a rat infestation when you look around your house and outside garden. As it is winter time, it is likely that rats and mice are going to try and invade your home to make their nests. If you are worried about mice and rats invading your home, we would recommend that you leave out mice traps around vulnerable areas. These don’t have to be traps that hurt the rat or mouse. Instead, they can be cages that you can use to release them back into the wild. With that said, if you are scared they have already started to nest in your house, keep an eye out for these common infestation signs:
- Rat/Mice droppings
- Chewed through walls/insulation
- Grease trails
- Nesting in confined spaces
- Scratching/shuffling noises
- The smell of urine/ammonia
- Broken piping
- Chewed food/ Food with disturbed wrapping
The moment you notice any of these signs, you will need to reach out to your landlord to get the vermin problem sorted out. They are legally obligated to help you with this type of infestation.
Housing Disrepairs: What will happen if I leave an infestation?
If you leave an infestation, or your landlord leaves the infestation to get worse, it’s very likely that the number of rats or mice in your home will continue to grow. This is due to the fact that they will continue to make more nests and destroy different areas of your house.
When you have a rat infestation, it’s likely that you will see areas of your house quickly fall into disarray. Not only can mice and rats chew through electrical wiring, you will see that they can cause damage to your roof, flooring and the plasterboard of your walls. This includes creating holes within the insulation.
You may even find that your local housing department blames you for a rat infestation because you did not take any action to have it sorted out. This fine could be anywhere from £2,000 – £27,000, depending on the extent of the damages. Your landlord will be responsible for getting the disrepairs sorted from rat infestation, especially if they knew about the infestation before you moved in. They will need to help with any structural damages, electrical wiring problems or rodent catching. If the damages are that bad, or your home requires fumigation, they may even be responsible to find you another property to live in until it is safe to move back in.
What should I do if I have a rat infestation?
The first thing you need to do is see if your infestation will fall under a housing disrepair claim. In most cases of a rat infestation or mouse infestation, the answer will be yes. But you should still take a look at the categories below to make sure you know which category your claim will fall under:
There is a chance that your disrepair could fall under all three of these categories. If your landlord is ignoring your requests for help, you should go to a solicitor to get started on your claim. Your solicitor will help you collect evidence and will organize a triage assessor to inspect your home. They will then decide whether or not it is worth pursuing your case and what sort of repairs will be required to get the house sorted. In this case, you may require a fumigator pest control to enter your residence. Your solicitor will work on the compensation side of your claim, and your triage assessor will work on the repairs. You could be owed around £20,000 in damages for your case. So, get in contact with a lawyer from Gowing Law Solicitors to get started on your housing disrepair claim for rat infestation.
Are you ready to get your rat infestation sorted out?
Here at Gowing Law Solicitors, we are determined to make sure that you end up having the best Christmas. The last thing you need is for your home to be invaded by rats, mice or even bats. Therefore, it’s up to your landlord to get pest control into your house and sort out any housing disrepairs. If they refuse to do this, it’s time to get started on a housing disrepair claim through Gowing Law Solicitors.
Our experts can offer you free advice and consultations to get you started. If you are happy to move forward with your claim, our solicitors can work with you on a “no win – no fee” basis. That means you will always come out on top because you will never have to pay any hidden fees. Instead, you will only need to pay your lawyer if they win your case for you. So, what’s stopping you from getting started?
Find out more by calling Gowing Law Solicitors today on 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our claims checker. One our specialists will then be in touch to answer any additional questions you may have.
Learn more about Housing Disrepairs and Housing Disrepair Claims
Gowing Law Solicitors is determined to help you grow your understanding of different types of legal claims. That way when you start your own case, you will know what you are getting into. If you are interested in learning more, make sure to read through Gowing Law’s latest blogs. We update our blog page regularly with new content. This includes information about our law firm, seasonal events, competitions, giveaways and information about UK law. We have wrote a lot about housing disrepair claims over the last year. Make sure to check them out. You can also suggest topics for our blog by sending them to info@gowinglaw.co.uk. Find out more by also signing up to our newsletter below:
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Happy Christmas and see you in our next blog!
