Single mum left waiting months for landlord to sort out mice infestation in her flat

By Hannah Neary, local democracy reporter

A single mum has been waiting months for her landlord to sort out a mice infestation in her flat – forcing her to mix cement and try to fix them herself.

Elaine Barry moved into her dream home in Ladbroke Grove with nine-year-old daughter Shayra in September.

After a decade in temporary housing, she was delighted to have a permanent home but was shocked to find it full of holes and a rampant mice infestation.

She said: “It’s supposed to be an exciting time but it’s upset me.

“I was really pleased to move but then it’s just been like a black cloud at the moment.”

Elaine explained she viewed the flat in early September and noticed holes and mice droppings.

But housing association Catalyst Housing told her the issues would be sorted before she moved in.

After being handed the keys later that month, she visited the property but nothing had been done.

She said there were around 50 holes in the hallway ceiling, her bedroom and daughter’s, under kitchen units and in many cupboards.

She continued: “It was in such a bad state. There were floorboards with gaps in them in my daughter’s room and beneath the kitchen cupboards.

“There were holes and lots of mice droppings.

“The criminal thing is it’s such a beautiful house and they’ve just left it, it’s really upsetting. It’s been left in disrepair.

“They don’t care at all. It’s almost like they’re saying ‘you should just be grateful to have somewhere’.”

Elaine said she has a vulnerable neighbour who lives below her whose garden is extremely overgrown. She believes this is attracting more mice.

Elaine claims elderly people living above her have had a mice issue for the last six months.

She said: “They have got nobody to help them. It breaks my heart because I think about my own mum and I think how can you just leave people like that.”

Elaine said she tried to fix the holes in her flat herself with cement and fillers after asking Catalyst to sort them three times.

She explained: “Me mixing cement, can you imagine? I had to go on YouTube and figure out how to do it.

“I just didn’t want to have the risk of things crawling around.

“I needed to move all my stuff in and start decorating as we needed new floors fitted so it couldn’t wait any longer.”

Despite trying to stop the mice coming in, Elaine is confident they are still there.

She added: “My brother in law heard a rustling just yesterday.”

Elaine said Catalyst visited the property in early October and left bait but she does not think this will be enough to completely rid the whole place of mice.

She wants the company to carry out an extermination of the whole building, fix the rest of the holes in her flat, and sort the issues with her neighbour’s garden.

She continued: “They have got to look out for us and completely look after us. It’s something they can do.”

A spokesperson for Catalyst said: “We were sorry to hear of this problem at Ms Barry’s home and once aware of the issue our team raised it with our contractors within 48 hours who attended the property within a week to lay baits for the mice.

“We leave around three weeks between baiting visits and our contractors are returning to continue baiting on Monday (November 1) in agreement with the customer.

“For proofing to be effective it is important to complete a baiting programme and once this has been done the holes will be filled.

“Garden maintenance at these properties is the responsibility of residents as detailed in their tenancy agreements however given the issues we will look into the problem and see whether any help can be offered.”

Catalyst say neighbouring properties are also having baiting works done.