Pest Infestation Claims
Discovering rats, mice, cockroaches, or other pests in your home is distressing. If a structural fault is to blame, your landlord must take action.
Start Your ClaimWhen is an Infestation a Disrepair Issue?
A pest infestation becomes a housing disrepair issue if the pests can get into your home because of a problem with the property's structure. This includes holes in exterior walls, gaps in window or door frames, damaged roofing, or broken air bricks.
It is your landlord's responsibility to repair these entry points to prevent pests from getting in. Their failure to do so makes them liable for the infestation and the problems it causes.
A Breach of Landlord Duty
Your Landlord's Pest Control Duty
Protecting Your Health
Landlords must ensure their properties are fit for human habitation. An infestation of pests, which can carry diseases and cause significant stress, clearly breaches this duty. Once you report the structural defect that is allowing pests to enter, your landlord must take action to both repair the defect and assist in dealing with the resulting infestation.
What Your Claim Can Achieve
A successful claim forces your landlord to solve the problem and compensates you for the impact it has had on your life.
Compensation for Distress
For the stress and anxiety of living with pests. You can also be compensated for damaged items, like food contaminated by rodents.
Repairs & Pest Control
An order forcing your landlord to seal all entry points and, in many cases, contribute to or cover the cost of professional pest control.
Evidence to Support Your Claim
Documentation is vital for proving your landlord's negligence:
- Photos of entry points (holes, gaps)
- Photos of pest droppings or damage
- Proof you reported the issue
- Receipts for any pest control you've paid for
Pest Infestation FAQs
Not always. If the infestation is caused by a tenant's lifestyle (e.g., leaving food out), the responsibility may fall on them. However, if the pests are able to get in because of a structural defect your landlord has failed to fix, the responsibility is theirs.
Claims can be made for any type of pest or vermin that has infested your home due to disrepair, including rats, mice, squirrels, cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas, and wasps.
Yes. If the infestation was your landlord's responsibility, the cost of any professional pest control you have paid for can be included as part of your compensation claim. It is vital to keep all receipts and invoices as proof.
Absolutely. Compensation for damaged belongings is a key part of a pest infestation claim. This can include anything that has been chewed, soiled, or otherwise ruined by the pests, such as sofas, mattresses, clothing, and stored food.
This is a crucial part of the claim. You should take clear photos or videos of the entry points, such as holes in skirting boards, gaps by pipes, or damaged brickwork. As part of our service, we will arrange for an expert surveyor to inspect the property and provide a report that formally identifies these defects.
Reclaim Your Home From Pests
You don't have to live with an infestation. Get a free, confidential assessment of your case from our expert solicitors today and take the first step to a pest-free home.
Start Your Free Assessment Today