[Tweener]

Hello,
I have a big problem in the house I rented (in a small town near Edinburgh, near a water canal): There are cockroaches!!! I passed a spray brought at Tesco every day, but these disgusting insects continue to appear, both alive and dead, especially in the bathroom and in the kitchen...Imagine waking up in the morning, and finding these "surprises"...
The landlady says that she never had such problems...what are my rights?
I will start to move out the trash every day, even if I don't produce much waste, and I will clean throughly the kitchen and the bathroom, but...I would actually prefer to move away from this house, than continuing remaining here, even if she arranges a disinfection of it...
Please help!! I'm a foreigner, so I don't where to go for legal advice, and what are my rights!!!

[Bluey]

There are 3 sources of information that can help you

1/ Edinburgh council website - they should have a section on pest control, whether or not its the landlord's responsibility to deal with, if they offer cheap or free pest control services and how they can enforce the landlord doing the work if its their problem.

2/ Shelter scotland website - they are a housing advice charity that offers free expert advice to tenants so check their website on how to deal with pests and call them on their helpline if you can't find it.

3/ Citizens Advice Bureau - they offer free legal/consumer advice and you may be able to get an appointment at a local office. Check their website for info on pests and where their offices are.

[Bluey]

ps - I'm not sure that spiders are considered pests but I could be wrong...

[rachelgrr]

Hi Tweener,

I lived in the DR for a year, near the water, and in the country. Didn't matter where I went I had cockroaches and HUGE spiders in my house. I cleaned once a week. I learned from the cleaning lady we had when we stayed at a hostal later on that it's necessary to clean the house everyday. She said specifically if you don't "you'll get cockroaches and spiders." When we moved into our second apartment I ran the broom and mop everyday (our apartment was very small - 315 sq ft - so it may this feasible), took the garbage out every night, wiped down the counters every night. No food left over anywhere. No cockroaches. It took some work, but it was worth it. Our daughter was 2 at the time so chemicals were out of the question for us.

I know they're gross. I feel for you. The cockroaches in the DR would FLY. I beat one with my flipflop all over the bathroom one night when one took me by surprise. I swear we made eye contact.


Rachel

[mutley1]

[Brightonman]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm Not paying rent is always dangerous! Contact your local Council office, ask for Environmental Health department and if you tell them the problem, they will put pressure on the landlord to remedy the problem or deal with it by sending their own pest control officer to your home.

Good luck

[LondonChap]

Try locking the windows and setting of the fogger bombs tehn leave the house for the best part of a day , hey only cost a few quid and kill everything
With the spiders try leaving conkers dotted around the house apparently spiders hate the smell of them