Mice Infestation
If you are dealing with an infestation of mice in your home, you are probably pretty freaked out right now. Apart from the distressing sound of scratching in the night you will be well aware of the health dangers posed by an infestation of vermin in your home. Rats and mice can carry tuberculosis, salmonella, gastro- enteritis, rat bite fever, and leptospirosis (wiels disease). Their droppings and fur will also contaminate food preparation surfaces and foodstuffs.
How did the Mice get into my Home?
Mice can enter properties through small cracks and holes found in the walls and floors. Therefore, if your home is in disrepair, you are at risk of having a mice infestation. They are most likely to take up residence in the Autumn as the weather cools, and they breed prolifically. Unfortunately, you could easily have a colony of 200 mice within a matter of months.
Is my Landlord Responsible or am I?
Our first step is to have a conversation with you to establish the extent of the problem and what the likely cause of the mice infestation is. We will visit your property in person if you decide to engage us so we can make a thorough assessment of the situation.
If you have caused the problem by failing to dispose of rubbish or leaving food stuffs lying around, then you will be responsible for organising and paying for a pest-control agency to come in and remove the unwelcome visitors.
However, there are two situations in which your landlord will be responsible for dealing with the infestation. They are:
1. The problem was there when you moved in; or
2. The mice have been able to enter your property due to disrepair.
The Vermin Problem Existed Before you Moved In
Your landlord has a duty to ensure the property they offer for rent is fit for habitation on the day it is moved into. If you have moved into furnished accommodation and it has a mice problem, we can ensure your landlord deals with it immediately.
Mice have Been Able to Enter Your Property Due to Disrepair
There is an implied term in all tenancy agreements that a landlord is responsible for keeping certain aspects of the property such as the structure and exterior in repair. Therefore, if there are holes in the floor or the walls and rodents have been able to enter the property through them, then they are responsible for repairing the damage and removing the vermin.
It can be difficult to establish the cause of the mice infestation at first glance, so we will engage the opinion of an Environment Officer, to provide evidence as to the cause of the problem.
You can be confident that by instructing us to act for you, we will ensure your landlord is forced to deal with the vermin problem quickly and at no cost to you.
No Win No Fee
Our housing litigation team, led by Zoheb Chaudhry can assist you with a housing disrepair claim on a no win no fee basis. This means that when we win your case, our legal fees are paid for by the other side, not by you. Our initial assessment of the property always gives us a very good idea of whether or not we are going to be successful. So, if we take a case on, we are likely to achieve a positive result for you.
If you have a mice infestation problem in your home, call us immediately on 0800 5244709 or request a call back and we will be in touch at your convenience.
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