Pest Infestation Compensation Claims
Scratching in the walls at night, droppings behind the cooker, food you daren't leave out. When pests are getting in through holes and defects your landlord should have fixed, the law says it's their problem to solve. We'll claim compensation and get the entry points sealed for good.
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When is an infestation your landlord's responsibility?
Pests become a disrepair issue when they're getting in because of a defect in the building: holes in exterior walls, gaps around pipework, broken air bricks, damaged roofing or rotten door frames. Your landlord is responsible for keeping the structure in repair, and that includes the gaps pests are using as a front door.
An infestation isn't just unpleasant. Rodents gnaw wiring and contaminate food, insects get into bedding and clothes, and the stress of living with them is real. If you've reported the problem and your landlord hasn't dealt with the cause, you're likely to have a claim.
Evidence that strengthens your claim
No photos? Nothing in writing? We can still help. But anything you can dig out now makes your claim stronger:
- Photos and videos of the problem, however rough
- Anything you've sent your landlord: emails, letters, texts
- GP or hospital records, if your health suffered
- Receipts or photos of ruined belongings
Your landlord's legal responsibility
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, your landlord must keep the structure and exterior of the property in repair, so the defects letting pests in are squarely their responsibility. And under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, a home overrun with vermin is unlikely to be fit to live in.
Once you've reported the entry points or the infestation, your landlord must investigate and put things right within a reasonable time: repairing the defects and, in many cases, dealing with the infestation itself. If they haven't, they're in breach, and that's the basis of your claim.
What a successful claim gets you
Compensation
A payment for what you've had to live with, usually worked out as a percentage of your rent, plus money back for ruined belongings: clothes, furniture, carpets and more.
The repairs, completed
A binding commitment that forces your landlord to fix the problem properly. No more promises, no more missed appointments.
Pest Infestation Compensation Claims: FAQs
Is my landlord always responsible for pest control?
Not always. If an infestation is genuinely caused by how the property is being used, responsibility can sit with the tenant. But where pests are getting in through structural defects your landlord has failed to repair, such as holes, gaps and damaged brickwork, the responsibility is theirs, along with the consequences.
Which pests can I claim for?
Any pest or vermin that has got in because of disrepair: rats, mice, squirrels, cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas, wasps and more. What matters legally isn't the species. It's that a defect your landlord should have fixed let them in.
I paid for pest control myself. Can I get that money back?
Yes. If the infestation was your landlord's responsibility, the cost of any professional pest control you've paid for can be recovered as part of your claim. Keep every receipt and invoice. They're your proof.
The pests have ruined food, furniture and clothes. Is that claimable?
Yes. Damaged and contaminated belongings are a standard part of a pest claim: sofas, mattresses, clothing and spoiled food included. On top of that, you can claim general compensation for living with the infestation, usually calculated as a percentage of your rent. Our free calculator gives you an instant estimate.
How do I prove the pests are getting in through disrepair?
Photograph the entry points if you can see them, such as holes in skirting boards, gaps around pipes and damaged brickwork, along with droppings or damage. But you don't need to prove it alone: as part of your claim, an independent surveyor inspects the property and formally identifies the defects.
See how much you could claim
Answer a few quick questions about your rent, the problems and how long you've lived with them, and you'll get an instant estimate. Confidential, no obligation, no pressure.