Edinburgh mum living in mouse-infested council flat with four-year-old since August threatens to sue Council

A desperate Edinburgh mum who has been living in a mouse-infested council flat for almost a year has said she feels “physically sick" in her own home.

The tenant, who doesn’t wish to be named, has threatened to sue Edinburgh Council after she was told that she would have to bid for a new council house in order to move.

She is currently living in the property with her four-year-old daughter and has been dealing with the mouse infestation since August last year.

The tenant already has pre-existing mental health problems, but is now experiencing even worse anxiety as a result of living with the infestation.

“I’m not eating, I’m not sleeping. Every time I’m in my house I feel physically sick, but I have to be in my house because I’ve got nowhere else to go,” she said.

While she believes that there are several available houses in which the council could rehome her and her daughter, she said no steps had been taken to do so.

“They don’t want to, they want to leave us here,” she said.

The tenant recently reached the final straw, when a mouse ran across her daughter’s foot, leaving the four-year-old “traumatised” by the experience.

A tenant living in a council flat in Pilton has complained that Edinburgh Council are not doing enough to tackle her mouse infestation.

Her child is now scared to go into the kitchen and bathroom, and has been struggling to sleep.

And despite having left out poison and mouse traps in every room, the mum-of-one said the problem has persisted.

"I’m not really worried about me, I'm worried about the effect it’s having on my child. She shouldn't have to be dealing with this,” the mother said.

She is also anxious that having mice living in their flat could be damaging to their health, and is particularly concerned for her daughter, who is asthmatic and has pet allergies.

Traps were set in every room of the house, however this did not solve the mouse problem.

A pest control expert has told her that the mice are living under the floorboards, and that they will have to be ripped out to allow the infestation to be properly dealt with.

Despite using oil burners and automatic air freshener sprays, she has also been unable to mask the smell of mouse urine.

Her worry has worsened recently, after she discovered damp in the flat when stripping wallpaper.

The woman said she knows many numerous other families who are living with mice or cockroach infestations in Edinburgh council houses. According to her, none of these families have been moved to other properties.

She called on the council to take action, and said: “They need to sort it. People can’t keep living like this – they don’t feel safe in their own home”.

"They need to stop treating tenants like they’re inhuman.”

A charity worker from LIFT Community Centre has been communicating with the council on the tenant’s behalf.

The mum-of-one praised the charity, and said she “wouldn’t know where to turn” without them.

A council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of the difficulties the resident has been experiencing with mice.

"Arrangements have been made for officers to visit her home and to take the most appropriate course of action to address problems.

"Every support will be offered to the family as we complete any necessary works, including the offer of alternative accommodation on a temporary basis if it is needed.”

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