Ive got a mid-terrace rental property with a tenant of 3 years.
A couple of months ago, my tenant (who has been an excellent tenant thus far) reported noises from the roof space, and suspected a mouse or bird. I arranged to visit the property, and inspect the loft space. There were no signs of droppings, chewed inulation etc, and no smell (I had a rodent problem in my old garage at home, so I'm familiar with the smell). I placed some bait just to be on the safe side and arranged to revisit the following week. My tenant got in touch to report the noises had increased over the following nights, so I went back earlier than planned. I discovered the baits were gone, but my previous experiences had taught me that mice and rats will hoard loose baits, and can quickly shift any number of bait lozenges etc. I assured my tenant that I would return within a few days with some commercial type baits that can be screwed to a timber batten, meaning they had to be eaten in situ rather than taken away to hoard.
The following week I returned, inspected the loft and discovered only one bait had been eaten, and two or three others nibbled at. Again, there were no other signs or smells in the roof space, but a day or two later my tenant got in touch quite panicky, stating that a neigbour a few doors down had observed rats outside his property, and seen them climbing a wall, he had also heard them in his own roof space. A missing roof tile on his roof was suspected to be an entry point, and this was quickly repaired.
In the meantime, a neigbour in the other direction had also heard noises in his own roof space, so he arranged for a local pest controller to attend. He was told by this guy, that they were most likely gaining access from a damaged drain and working their way up through cavity walls etc, (even though these terraced houses are 1800's, and actually have 9" solid wall construction), but in any case, he also stated that his experience led him to believe the entry point was most probably from a property that had been extended, thus disturbing the drains. My own property hasn't been extended, but some in the row of seven have been.
His reccomendation was for a camera survey of all the drains to identify and locate said access point. I told my tenant that I was willing to have my drain examined, but only if the other housholders were also onboard. There didn't seem much point me trying to find the acces point when it could be anywhere along the row. I don't know the majority of the other householders, but after contacting four of them, it was clear that they were not willing to pay for their own drains to be inspected. By now, my tenant had decided enough was enough, and moved out and back to a parents house, demanding I get this sorted. I explained that, despite the roof void having party walls, rodents are very capable of getting in and out through the smallest of gaps, and that it would be nigh on impossible to 100% guarantee a rodent proof roof void in a row of Victorian terraces, and that it would need a combined effort from all the householders to completely erradicate the issue.
I spoke with a pest controller, who told me as much, and also said the baits I'd positioned were the same tactic he would have employed, along with glue traps.
My tenant, who had been back to check on the house, informed me there were signs of digging at the rear of my property, in the corner where the neigbours extension is adjoined. I arranged to go there within a couple of days, and went prepared to beef things up. There was no actual hole that I could see, as my tenant had pushed the gravel back across, but I used strong galvanised welded mesh wire, cut and fitted all along the base of the walls and extending along and into the ground, then concreted over. I placed traps outside, and also within the roof void, which once more showed no signs of additional activity since my previous visits. I also placed two infrared camera traps in the roof void above the position where my tenant had reported to have heard noises prior to moving out. I spoke with some of the neigbours that same day, including the one who saw and heard the rats in his own roof and he told me he that he had also placed baits and a trap, but had heard nothing for some time, the other neigbour had not heard anything at all.
Eight days later, I returned and retrieved the cameras, which revealed no activity in that time, the only things photographed were my feet during installation/removal. I updated my tenant, who responded "sounds promising, I'll move back in once Christmas and New Year are over".
Yesterday, my tenant emailed me stating several clauses in our tenancy agreement had been broken, that the property was not habitable and demanding reimbursement of two moths rent (the latter of which, I had agreed to a 50% reduction due to them moving out, even though, (as far as I can see) I was not culpable. The email goes on to threaten court action if all monies are not reimbursed within one month.
My question is, seeing as we are mid-term with our contract, where it is clearly stated "a period of 2 months notice is required", and doing everything within my capability to sort the issue, am I in the wrong?
