Council slammed for letting bedbugs fester in tenant’s home

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A council has been slammed for taking six months to offer a follow-up treatment for a bedbug infestation at a tenant’s home.

Wandsworth council has also been ordered to refund the woman after wrongly telling her she would have to pay to sort it out herself.

The woman, named Ms B in the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman report, was moved into the temporary accommodation in November 2019.

She claimed it was infested with bedbugs and that she had been bitten and her belongings had become infested.

In July 2020, Ms B asked the council’s contractor to treat the bedbug infestation in her room after finding out another tenant in her block was receiving treatment for bedbugs, which the contractor agreed to.

Ms B also complained to the council about the infestation on the same day. She claimed the council had previously agreed to treat the room in August 2018, before she became a tenant, but cancelled a week later after the bedsit was declared empty.

The council said a treatment was arranged for that month but it was not carried out as the tenant at the time died and it decided to address the infestation as part of the void works.

But it did not provide evidence any treatment for bedbugs was completed as part of these works, according to the report.

Ms B complained to the council again in August 2020 as, she said, no follow-up treatment had been arranged.

The council said Ms B cancelled the follow-up treatment scheduled for February 2021, which she denied.

In February 2022, Ms B contacted the council’s pest control team about bedbug treatment. It told her this was a chargeable service, so she arranged her own contractor.

The report said: “As Ms B clearly explained that she was seeking treatment for a bedbug infestation in temporary accommodation, the council should have arranged free treatment.”

She complained to the council again in March 2022 saying it was aware the property had a bedbug infestation when she moved in.

The council agreed to apologise to Ms B, offer a further pest control treatment, refund the £216 she paid for her own contractor.

A Wandsworth council spokesman said: “The Ombudsman’s report makes it clear that the council acted appropriately in trying to inspect the property and carry out treatments following complaints and that on occasions Ms B refused to allow the council’s pest control contractors into her property to carry out those treatments.

“However, we accept that there were some shortcomings in the way we handled this case and so have agreed to apologise to Ms B in writing and refund her the cost of the pest control treatments she paid for.”

Pictured top: Wandsworth town hall (Picture Google Street View)