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Transport and Technical Services
Council Offices, 37 Pembroke Road, London W8 6PW Director for Environmental Health
Nicholas Austin Re: Mrs Cecellia Hensman Flat 2 22-23 Hereford Square LONDON SW7 4TS 18 May 2016 My reference: SROTP/16/186149 Your reference: Please ask for: Freddie Hyatt
Dear Mr Kimberley,
CONFIRMATION OF PEST CONTROL TREATMENT
Thank you for choosing the Royal Borough’s Pest Control Services. We can confirm your payment of £120.00 and your receipt number is 001720.
Your appointment details are as follows:
PEST APPOINTMENT: DATE/TIMES VISITING OFFICER
MICE 18/05/16 : 13.00 - 17.00 16/06/16 : 8.00 - 13.00 07/07/16 : 8.00 - 13.00 Freddie Hyatt Freddie Hyatt Freddie Hyatt CANCELLATION
A Pest Control Officer will carry out a planned programme of treatment to eradicate the infestation. If you need to cancel or re-arrange the appointment, please contact us immediately as the success of our work is dependent upon prompt and regular re-treatments. If you cancel a visit within 24 hours of the appointed visit time or you are not at home when we call, the ‘missed’ appointment will count as one of the visits you have already paid for. This may mean that the infestation cannot be eradicated within the remaining number of visits you are entitled to and you will be asked to pay for any required additional visits.
HOUSEKEEPING
Although infestations can generally be eradicated with pesticides, it is sometimes necessary for the owner/occupant to take additional measures to ensure that pests are not given the environmental conditions in which they can live and breed. The officer may make recommendations on housekeeping or give advice on how to prevent pests gaining access to your home. It is important that you follow any recommendations and advice that is given to you. If you do not it is likely that the infestation will continue and you will need to pay for further courses of
treatment.
SAFETY INFORMATION
Any pesticides or equipment that we use in your home are the property of the Council, whose legal obligation it is to remove them when treatment is no longer needed. Your cooperation is required to ensure that we are able to retrieve poisons and equipment when the treatment is complete. If you do not allow us to remove the poisons or equipment you will become legally responsible for any mishap that may occur.
If we can be of any further assistance please contact Pest Control on 020 7361 3002 or e-mail pest.control@rbkc.gov.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Brown
Pest Control Manager
In case of emergency, please contact 0207 361 3002 or if the emergency involves some person or pet having consumed our pesticide (poison bait etc) contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 (24 hours).
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Pest Information and advice - All Pests
For Landlords (including Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and Housing Associations, Hoteliers, Hostel Managers etc.
Pests
Pest infestation of someone’s home can be very unpleasant for them, particularly if they are not able to help themselves. Most pests can spread disease. All pest species can cause dis-ease and reports of infestation in your premises must not be taken lightly.. What problems do pests cause?
Many pests are vectors of disease and some of those diseases have the potential for fatal consequences, particularly if contracted by very young children, the elderly and the infirm. In addition, pests like rats, mice and squirrels can cause damage to property, through gnawing electrical cables, water pipes and other services.
As a landlord, am I responsible for dealing with pest infestations in my property? The general principle of the Housing Act 2004 is that “…any residential premises should
provide a safe and healthy environment for any potential occupier or visitor”. In the event
that a pest infestation prevents a property meeting this standard, then the local authority has powers to take appropriate enforcement action against landlords, under:
· The Public Health Act 1936, Section 83
· The Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 80 · The Housing Act 2004
You are strongly advised to contact Environmental Health immediately, for advice or details of treatment costs etc, if you suspect or are notified by your tenant / tenants about pest infestation in property that you own or for which you are responsible.
How do pests gain access into my property spread?
Pests can be introduced into a building through a number of ways, including:
· Rodents usually get in via structural defects (broken or defective , gaps to the base of or around external doors, gaps around service pipes, cables or ducting serving premises
· Insects can be brought in on luggage, cardboard packaging, foodstuffs or other items taken into a building. In addition, insects can also fly or crawl in. Some biting insects can even migrate from birds (pigeons, House Martins etc that are roosting in or on a building. Animal fleas can be brought in by pets.
Once inside a building, pests will quickly move through it, using service pipes, electrical cables, ventilation ducts or heating shafts etc. Eventually, the whole structure, block etc may become infested.
How can I reduce the chance of my property becoming infested?
· Ensure all sub-floor ventilation grids are intact and that the grids will prevent access by pests (having air holes of less than 3mm). If you can pass a pencil through a gap, mice will also be able to pass through it.
· Avoid buying or taking in second-hand furniture, especially bedroom furniture, or bedding even if it is from someone you know.
· Take pro-active measures by engaging a professional pest control contractor to carry out a twice-yearly ‘health-check’ of your property (the Council can provide this service at a very competitive cost) or when premises are vacated prior to being re-let.
· Before moving furniture from one flat to another, inspect furniture closely for signs of infestation.
· DO NOT move furniture from flats where bedbug infestation is suspected or confirmed.
· Ensure you and your staff are familiar with the signs of pest infestation and the appropriate steps for ensuring immediate action to eradicate the infestation The Council is able to provide specific training for landlords, managing agents, hotel staff and others about the signs and financial and legal implications of bedbug infestation. Attendance charges are nominal.
What should I do if I suspect my property has bedbugs?
If you suspect your property has pests, seek professional help immediately. The longer you leave it, the worse the infestation will become, and the more difficult it will be to eradicate. Self-treatment is unlikely to be successful. Pests do not ‘go away’ by themselves.
Phone us on 02073613002 for advice or to arrange treatment for your property.
If you need to dispose of furniture or other items from an infested flat, you must ensure the items are treated by a professional pest controller and labelled as ‘infested’ before disposal at a landfill site or waste collection point.
Professional inspection and treatment:
Because pests can quickly spread from flat to flat. In order to completely eradicate the pests from your property, it is highly likely the pest control professional will want to inspect and, possibly, treat not just the infested area but also adjoining units (above, beside and below). You must ensure your tenants allow full access to all rooms and areas.
Treatments for bedbugs are particularly difficult and to ensure success there is a lot of pre-treatment work which will need to be carried out by you and your tenants. This will involve stripping beds, emptying wardrobes, closets, cupboards, chests of drawers, storage boxes, luggage etc. The pest control professional will provide you and your
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tenants with all relevant advice and instructions. However, as landlord, you will need to liaise with your tenants to ensure they carry out ALL preparatory work. If you have tenants who are unable to do the preparatory work (disabled, aged, infirm, mentally ill etc) you will need to contact appropriate relatives or agencies to ensure this is carried out in good time. Remember, as landlord, you are required to comply with housing and public health legislation, regardless of how your property may have become infested.
Record Keeping:
Landlords are legally required to keep records of all reports of infestation (all pest species, including mice, rats, cockroaches, Pharaohs’ Ants etc), whether from staff, tenants, care-workers, managing agents, trades people etc. Moreover, as landlord, you must also keep a record of your response to reports, complaints about pest infestation.
Remember, it is the landlord who has a legal responsibility to deal with pest infestation in or on their land or premises. Landlords must not instruct tenants to contact the local authority for pest control treatments, unless the landlord has agreed to pay the authority for all of the costs for the work involved.
