Council pest control cuts prompts fears tenants will be overrun by rats

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Central Government, Communities, Local Government

News that 29 councils have shut down their pest control services in the last two years is “shocking” and could leave those unable to pay for services vulnerable to pests and diseases, a firm specialising in the security of empty homes has warned.

The figures were revealed in a BBC Panorama investigation aired earlier this week, which showed that in many areas tenants and residents are relying on private companies to rid them of rats, bedbugs and cockroaches with other councils also now charging for a service.

SitexOrbis, which secures and cleans vacant property for social landlords, said the news will mean more social housing tenants will find their properties overrun by pests unless they are prepared to fork out to get rid of them themselves.

“This is a shocking finding,” said Mark Cosh, sales and marketing director at SitexOrbis. “It could leave society’s most vulnerable people – families who cannot afford to pay for pest control – vulnerable to pests, and the diseases they carry. We urge local authorities to reconsider these cuts and reinstate the budget for pest control services to ensure everyone is properly protected.”

Cosh said social housing is “particularly prone to infestations”.

He cited a British Pest Control Association (BPCA) study of over 390 local authorities which found that a council in east London has the highest number of infestations of bedbugs, mice, cockroaches and others pests in the country, with 80 infestations per 1,000 people. The problem, it said, was the high percentage of tightly packed tower block housing, which facilitates the easy migration of pests. 

Cosh said it’s imperative that councils take rapid and effective action to remove pests from social housing and use a reputable expert to ensure that the job is done correctly and safely.  

He said: “Pests make for extremely unpleasant and unwanted housemates and can damage the building and its contents. They can also spread disease so it is important councils take preventative measures, as well as being reactive. Cockroaches eat a wide range of food including rotting rubbish, and so carry salmonella and gastroenteritis. Vermin too are dangerous. Rats spread Weil's disease, a bacterial infection that kills about 12 people in Britain every year. In 2010 the Olympic medallist rower Andy Holmes died from the disease. It is caught through contact with water or areas contaminated by the urine of infected animals including rats. Rowers and fishermen are particularly vulnerable as are elderly, sick and very young people living in infested properties. Rats also spread toxoplasmosis and salmonella.”