Residents of a row of houses in Rotherhithe say they’ve had a rat infestation for over a year, with one claiming the noise of them in her roof ‘sounds like Jack Russells running around.’
Julie Rose has lived in the same house on Rotherhithe Street for 28 years but said she noticed the unwanted house guests just over a year ago – after contractors fitted some new insulation.
“We had insulation put in the cavity walls,” she explained, “and since then we’ve had these rats.”
“They are so loud every night they keep us all awake. My cat is catching two baby rats a day at the moment. It sounds like Jack Russells are running around.”
Another resident, Caroline, has five children, some with disabilities. She told us the rats are severely affecting their sleep and well-being. “My daughter has cerebral palsy and she can’t sleep and she’s anxious because of them.
“They get in the house and wee in and gnaw on their shoes. We’ve had to throw so many things away.”
Along with the noise and loss of belongings, they are concerned about the impact it’s having on their health.
“They are in my roof where my water tank is,” Julie commented, “who knows what is getting into our water supply.”
Another woman Monique said she can’t even use her garden because she is so worried about what will come in if she opens the door.
According to the residents we spoke to, all ten houses in the row of terraces have the same problem of rats.
They all claim they have complained to the housing association, Wandle, several times over the past year, but say they all get told the same thing – that they are ‘the only one’ who has complained.
This led to some having to take matters into their own hands.
Julie said she has personally forked out £500 for pest control to come to help but it has not worked.
“A lot of people affected are on benefits so this is way too expensive for them – and they shouldn’t have to sort it out themselves,” she told us.
We asked Wandle if they were aware of this issue and they said they were. They explained that whilst tenants are responsible for removing pests from their homes – because several houses are affected in this case, it is [Wandle’s] responsibility to take action.
In a statement, they said, “We have investigated the claims put to us and reviewed communication and action over the past twelve months. While we have received some reports, we haven’t received notification on the scale or duration indicated. All of the reports made resulted in action according to our processes.
“While it is a tenant’s responsibility to treat and remove pests in their home, we are responsible where it affects several homes and where it requires pest proofing to the fabric of the building.
“We will be visiting all homes on the street this week to investigate the problems raised, and to carry out works if they are required. If Wandle residents are experiencing issues in their home, it is vital that they are reported so that we can follow up.”
Since we got in touch, some of the neighbours said Wandle had been in touch to organise a visit to start solving the issue.