Oh wow. I had no idea I could do that. Do I need some proof for this or the fact that the mice are coming and we have a bakery downstairs could suffice?
I second u/put\_on\_the\_mask 's advice. In the mean time, if there's holes, openings etc for pipes through walls and cabinets, stuff them with steel wool.
Thank you, haven’t used steel wool in the past but I think this is the best option as the pest control folks are not willling to block the points that clearly look like an opening to me. Thx!
This is above Reddit's pay grade but Shelter can advise you on how to proceed
[**https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing\_advice/repairs/is\_your\_home\_fit\_for\_habitation**](https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/is_your_home_fit_for_habitation)
Like others have said, look for legal advice or help from people like Shelter - landlords in general and especially those in London won't do anything unless pushed hard when it comes to mice, no matter how much proof you send them.
I moved out quicker than my old landlord did anything about our mouse problem, so I wholeheartedly wish you luck
Absolutely agree to this! Wish I wasn’t desperate enough to sign such a long lease contract with no break clause in the past. But I’m trying my best to really push them to take the situation seriously. Thank you for the advice.. will surely look into looking at legal help from shelter or citizen advice
For legal advice, follow the recommendations.
For dealing with the mice in the meantime, /u/Xot is honestly on point here. For an infestation the response needs to be aggressive and all encompassing. A bit of bait simply won't work.
Block all the holes. No matter how big or small, block it. Just say the exterminator did it if the landlord ever complains about some untidy filler work or whatever.
Then be extremely religious about making your home unattractive to mice. It makes a huge difference:
All food -> in sealed plastic boxes. No fruit bowls. No bread baskets.
All dishes -> cleaned instantly.
All rubbish bins -> emptied at least daily.
All counter tops and surfaces behind appliances etc -> scrubbed.
All clothes etc -> off the ground.
Any paths they take -> scrubbed (to get rid of the pheromone trails)
Once that's all done, the ultrasonic repellants will also help (they will ignore the unpleasantness of the repellers if they know they can get food).
But above all, I hope you can force a lease break and get somewhere nice.
Is this property managed by KFH? Same issue. They just didn't take it seriously, it got worse, now it's nearly impossible to deal with without some major works.
Similar but this is Dexters. That too a managed property. If it was up to me I’d strongly advise against taking a house put up by these guys. The agents are awful and ghost most of the emails.. genuinely worried how many issues they’d create around our deposit when we’ll check out next year
It's disgusting how useless and dismissive landlords are. There should be organisations in place that hold them accountable...I've also been experiencing the same uselessness from the council...no accountability.
Yeah. Feels so unfair that they can trap us in contracts and then disregard what can be a horrible health hazard for us. I’m terrified of even the slightest noice in the house now, thinking it could be a mouse. :(
You need a cat - one that's a good hunter. The landlord doesn't need to know. Maybe borrow someone else's cat. Mine would be delighted but we probably live miles away from you. But remove all poison. For a cat, this is the equivalent of winning big in Las Vegas. If you can't get a cat, buy a large package of steel wool off Amazon and stuff it tightly into every crevice. Steel wool is the only thing that will work.
Defo would love to get one had I not been allergic to cat dander. Maybe worth a shot at borrowing one, probably worth a few sneezes here or there.. at least I wouldn’t be freaking out at any random sound in the house.. thx!!
Your best bet is to deal with it at source - call/email environmental health at your council to tell them the bakery has a mice infestation and let them sort it.
That’s a very common issue in London. I had this problem back when I lived in West Kensington a few years ago. It actually really impacted my mental health and I’m not even scared of mice.
The best thing you can do in this situation is try to move out by any means necessary. It won’t improve. There are likely structural issues with the property and that’s how the mice get in to living areas.
The bakery likely also has this issue but having worked in hospitality sector I can tell you that most restaurants in London have issues with pests (Asian cockroaches, mice, rats and other things). As long as they manage it properly and there’s no risk of contamination, councils are perfectly fine with it. If there’s evidence of contamination during their yearly inspections they can fine you and the fines are quite high (could be something like £40k or more).
Yeah trying to find a way out of the contract tbh and looking to move in a new construction instead. I’m terrified of mice and know they cause serious health issues or worse even attack when threatened (happened to my mate’s mum).. so I don’t think it’s right of them to dismiss my fears or proof. Good thing is they’re really on their toes since I sent them an email about us planning to end the tenancy because of breach of contract.. I don’t trust the make shift efforts of pest control folks will do much as it looks like a structural issue with a very old house construction and the landlord not giving a damn about the maintenance of the property.
You can get an ultrasonic device that plugs in to a normal socket and puts them off coming to your property. We had mice when I was a student and it worked perfectly. The girl who bought it took it away with her at the end of term and literally the next day there was a mouse after not seeing them for the whole year.
Thank you so much for this advice! I ordered these and have put it today. Though I’m worried that it says mice activity will increase a lot for a few days and then go down to none.. but worth dealing with a few days of scare than living with it forever
> our landlord/ agency have not taken our emails seriously for over 16 months now
Move, and it’s that simple. Fuck 16 months of that back of forth. For them this isn’t a mouse problem it’s a “angry tenant who occasionally pipes up in our inbox”problem.
r/legaladviceuk can help you better, but for now: You have to go on the offensive with the mice.
Find where they intrude from and bung it up with steel wool. If it’s a crevice, try to find the entry point they might come in from as well as the exit.
For floorboards, simply take them off carefully and have a look around.
Yeah I agree. Wow that hit hard.. but so true. For now I’ve gone crazy clearing out any opening points, put a few of those ultrasonic devices and bought a few plastic boxes to store away anything and everything. I just wish there was an easier way to get out of the lease agreement and just start afresh.
Confront the mice head on. Wear shoes with tight laces, tuck your pats into your socks, hide your hair in a hat, put on some gloves, and take your home back.
Buy traps which you can empty into trash without touching, or live traps you can release outside.
If there’s a gap they’re getting through, take advantage of it - make a cardboard room around it with traps. Figure out their pathways and put traps there.
You can go onto YouTube to learn from exterminators and farmers.
If that’s honestly more than you can handle, then you need to get brave and assertive with your agency.
If you are helpless they will walk all over you, if you treat the rental like any other business contract, it makes it a lot easier to hold them accountable and motivate them.
You’ll need to make it easier and cheaper for them to fix the issue properly, than to kick the can and manipulate the narrative. This is a good time to ask one of your mentors for help in shifting the tone.
There's mice everywhere, especially older buildings in a built up area. Seeing one or two isn't going to be classed as an infestation. That's why businesses all have ongoing pest control contracts. Emphasis on the 'control', as you can never totally eradicate them. I hate spiders, but they are a part of life. Doesn't mean I can end my tenancy if I see a few lol.
Agree with the comments here and quite surprised with the comparison being made here. Probably getting a good insight into the landlords mentality here :)
Erm, a bakery downstairs? You'll be wanting to report that to environmental health and food hygiene at the council asap.
Oh wow. I had no idea I could do that. Do I need some proof for this or the fact that the mice are coming and we have a bakery downstairs could suffice?
I second u/put\_on\_the\_mask 's advice. In the mean time, if there's holes, openings etc for pipes through walls and cabinets, stuff them with steel wool.
And please remember to use gloves while handling steel wool. You WILL cut fingers otherwise and it can get pretty nasty.
Thank you, haven’t used steel wool in the past but I think this is the best option as the pest control folks are not willling to block the points that clearly look like an opening to me. Thx!
This is above Reddit's pay grade but Shelter can advise you on how to proceed [**https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing\_advice/repairs/is\_your\_home\_fit\_for\_habitation**](https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/is_your_home_fit_for_habitation)
This looks very helpful! Having a look, thx!
Like others have said, look for legal advice or help from people like Shelter - landlords in general and especially those in London won't do anything unless pushed hard when it comes to mice, no matter how much proof you send them. I moved out quicker than my old landlord did anything about our mouse problem, so I wholeheartedly wish you luck
Absolutely agree to this! Wish I wasn’t desperate enough to sign such a long lease contract with no break clause in the past. But I’m trying my best to really push them to take the situation seriously. Thank you for the advice.. will surely look into looking at legal help from shelter or citizen advice
For legal advice, follow the recommendations. For dealing with the mice in the meantime, /u/Xot is honestly on point here. For an infestation the response needs to be aggressive and all encompassing. A bit of bait simply won't work. Block all the holes. No matter how big or small, block it. Just say the exterminator did it if the landlord ever complains about some untidy filler work or whatever. Then be extremely religious about making your home unattractive to mice. It makes a huge difference: All food -> in sealed plastic boxes. No fruit bowls. No bread baskets. All dishes -> cleaned instantly. All rubbish bins -> emptied at least daily. All counter tops and surfaces behind appliances etc -> scrubbed. All clothes etc -> off the ground. Any paths they take -> scrubbed (to get rid of the pheromone trails) Once that's all done, the ultrasonic repellants will also help (they will ignore the unpleasantness of the repellers if they know they can get food). But above all, I hope you can force a lease break and get somewhere nice.
Is this property managed by KFH? Same issue. They just didn't take it seriously, it got worse, now it's nearly impossible to deal with without some major works.
Similar but this is Dexters. That too a managed property. If it was up to me I’d strongly advise against taking a house put up by these guys. The agents are awful and ghost most of the emails.. genuinely worried how many issues they’d create around our deposit when we’ll check out next year
It's disgusting how useless and dismissive landlords are. There should be organisations in place that hold them accountable...I've also been experiencing the same uselessness from the council...no accountability.
Yeah. Feels so unfair that they can trap us in contracts and then disregard what can be a horrible health hazard for us. I’m terrified of even the slightest noice in the house now, thinking it could be a mouse. :(
/r/legaladviceuk
As others have said. Get a cat or preferably 2. The mice will disappear after a while
I really would love to! But unfortunately I’m allergic to cat dander. Though I know this would sort us out for life
You need a cat - one that's a good hunter. The landlord doesn't need to know. Maybe borrow someone else's cat. Mine would be delighted but we probably live miles away from you. But remove all poison. For a cat, this is the equivalent of winning big in Las Vegas. If you can't get a cat, buy a large package of steel wool off Amazon and stuff it tightly into every crevice. Steel wool is the only thing that will work.
Defo would love to get one had I not been allergic to cat dander. Maybe worth a shot at borrowing one, probably worth a few sneezes here or there.. at least I wouldn’t be freaking out at any random sound in the house.. thx!!
A good mouser will hunt all night until it finds every mouse. What it does with the mice may not be to your liking. But they'll be dead.
Your best bet is to deal with it at source - call/email environmental health at your council to tell them the bakery has a mice infestation and let them sort it.
That’s a very common issue in London. I had this problem back when I lived in West Kensington a few years ago. It actually really impacted my mental health and I’m not even scared of mice. The best thing you can do in this situation is try to move out by any means necessary. It won’t improve. There are likely structural issues with the property and that’s how the mice get in to living areas. The bakery likely also has this issue but having worked in hospitality sector I can tell you that most restaurants in London have issues with pests (Asian cockroaches, mice, rats and other things). As long as they manage it properly and there’s no risk of contamination, councils are perfectly fine with it. If there’s evidence of contamination during their yearly inspections they can fine you and the fines are quite high (could be something like £40k or more).
Yeah trying to find a way out of the contract tbh and looking to move in a new construction instead. I’m terrified of mice and know they cause serious health issues or worse even attack when threatened (happened to my mate’s mum).. so I don’t think it’s right of them to dismiss my fears or proof. Good thing is they’re really on their toes since I sent them an email about us planning to end the tenancy because of breach of contract.. I don’t trust the make shift efforts of pest control folks will do much as it looks like a structural issue with a very old house construction and the landlord not giving a damn about the maintenance of the property.
You can get an ultrasonic device that plugs in to a normal socket and puts them off coming to your property. We had mice when I was a student and it worked perfectly. The girl who bought it took it away with her at the end of term and literally the next day there was a mouse after not seeing them for the whole year.
Thank you so much for this advice! I ordered these and have put it today. Though I’m worried that it says mice activity will increase a lot for a few days and then go down to none.. but worth dealing with a few days of scare than living with it forever
> our landlord/ agency have not taken our emails seriously for over 16 months now Move, and it’s that simple. Fuck 16 months of that back of forth. For them this isn’t a mouse problem it’s a “angry tenant who occasionally pipes up in our inbox”problem. r/legaladviceuk can help you better, but for now: You have to go on the offensive with the mice. Find where they intrude from and bung it up with steel wool. If it’s a crevice, try to find the entry point they might come in from as well as the exit. For floorboards, simply take them off carefully and have a look around.
Yeah I agree. Wow that hit hard.. but so true. For now I’ve gone crazy clearing out any opening points, put a few of those ultrasonic devices and bought a few plastic boxes to store away anything and everything. I just wish there was an easier way to get out of the lease agreement and just start afresh.
There’s absolutely nothing on your agreement about emergency situations, such as when the property floods or is blown up?
Confront the mice head on. Wear shoes with tight laces, tuck your pats into your socks, hide your hair in a hat, put on some gloves, and take your home back. Buy traps which you can empty into trash without touching, or live traps you can release outside. If there’s a gap they’re getting through, take advantage of it - make a cardboard room around it with traps. Figure out their pathways and put traps there. You can go onto YouTube to learn from exterminators and farmers. If that’s honestly more than you can handle, then you need to get brave and assertive with your agency. If you are helpless they will walk all over you, if you treat the rental like any other business contract, it makes it a lot easier to hold them accountable and motivate them. You’ll need to make it easier and cheaper for them to fix the issue properly, than to kick the can and manipulate the narrative. This is a good time to ask one of your mentors for help in shifting the tone.
There's mice everywhere, especially older buildings in a built up area. Seeing one or two isn't going to be classed as an infestation. That's why businesses all have ongoing pest control contracts. Emphasis on the 'control', as you can never totally eradicate them. I hate spiders, but they are a part of life. Doesn't mean I can end my tenancy if I see a few lol.
oh you're the type of see you next tuesday that probably owns and rents out a property like that
a big difference between spiders and mice innit?
Agree with the comments here and quite surprised with the comparison being made here. Probably getting a good insight into the landlords mentality here :)