Dealing with an infestation your landlord keeps ignoring? When pests are your landlord's responsibility, what counts as proof, and how to make a housing disrepair claim.
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Finding droppings in the kitchen, hearing scratching in the walls, or seeing cockroaches at night is distressing. It is a health worry as well as an unpleasant one. Have you reported an infestation and your landlord has brushed it off? It helps to know where you stand.
Is a pest infestation your landlord's responsibility?
It often is, though it depends on the cause. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, your landlord must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair. Pests may be getting in through disrepair: gaps in brickwork, broken air bricks, holes around pipes or damaged drains. That disrepair is the landlord's responsibility. So is the way in it creates.
The Housing Act 2004 also matters. A serious infestation can be assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Pests and vermin are a named hazard there. A bad enough case can be a Category 1 hazard, and the council can make the landlord deal with it.
There can be shared responsibility. If an infestation is clearly caused by how a home is kept, that can complicate things. But a landlord cannot simply ignore vermin entering through a building defect. "It must be something you are doing" is no answer where there is a clear way in through disrepair.
What counts as proof?
Evidence is what moves this from a disagreement to a clear case. Photograph and film what you can: droppings, gnaw marks, nests, damaged food packaging, live sightings, and the points where pests are getting in.
Just as important is showing that you reported it and were ignored. Put every report in writing, by email or your landlord's portal. Describe what you are seeing and where. Keep every reply, and note the dates they go quiet. A pest control report, if you or the council arrange one, carries real weight.
How long does the landlord have to act?
The law expects repairs and action within a reasonable time under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. A serious infestation should be treated urgently rather than left. That is even more true with rodents in a home with children.
This is not only about comfort. Rodent infestations carry real health risks. Public health guidance links rats and mice to illnesses such as leptospirosis and salmonella. That is one reason a serious case should not be allowed to drag on.
How to make a claim
If you have reported an infestation linked to disrepair and your landlord has failed to act, you can get free, independent advice. Support For Tenants is an FCA-authorised claims management company, not a solicitor. We check whether you have grounds for a housing disrepair claim, and where you do, we connect you with a solicitor from our panel who works on a no-win, no-fee basis. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my landlord responsible for pests?
Often, yes. Where pests get in through disrepair such as gaps in brickwork or broken air bricks, that disrepair is your landlord's responsibility under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. A serious infestation can also be a hazard under the Housing Act 2004.
What evidence do I need?
Dated photos and video of droppings, gnaw marks, nests and entry points, plus written records showing you reported the problem and the landlord's responses. A pest control report adds weight.
Are rats and mice a health risk?
Yes. Rodent infestations are linked to illnesses such as leptospirosis and salmonella. That is one reason a serious case should not be left to drag on.
How quickly should my landlord act?
The law expects action within a reasonable time. A serious infestation, especially with children in the home, should be treated urgently.
What does it cost to start a claim?
If you appear to have a claim, we connect you with a panel solicitor who works on a no-win, no-fee basis. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Living with an infestation your landlord won't tackle?
You do not have to put up with it. Get a free, independent view on your rights. Call free on 0800 030 4669 or start your claim.
Sources
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11
- Housing Act 2004
- Housing Health and Safety Rating System guidance (GOV.UK)
- Leptospirosis (GOV.UK)
Support For Tenants is a trading name of Cyntex Group Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Claims Management Company. FRN 1020217. Registered in England and Wales.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 2 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only, not a promise; every case is different.
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