Tenant's plea to move out of Whitehaven flat plagued by rats and damp

David Reay, 48, who suffers with arthritis and has learning difficulties, lives in the Home Group property at St James’ Court in Whitehaven.

He said: “I complained because my bedroom was riddled with damp. All they did was white wash the walls and I had to remove the carpet because there were damp patches and I had to paint the walls after.

“I had damp in my bathroom where they’ve only white washed it. There’s still damp there.

“I’ve still got vermin. I don’t know how they are getting in. With me having a low immune system, it’s affecting my health worrying that rats are going to get back into where I live.

“They keep me awake at night time scurrying on the ceiling. It’s horrible.

“There have been a few issues I have had to raise with Home Group. People have been fly tipping up there and that’s causing vermin as well. People have been throwing waste on the community grass.

”Crime is getting worse."

David Reay has reported the issues to Home Group (Image: Submitted)

Mr Reay said he would like to be moved into a different property.

“Even if they get rid of the rats, there’s no guarantee they won’t come back. I’m getting older now. I’ve got underlying health issues and it’s not going to get any better for me.”

Lisa Russell, Head of Service Delivery at Home Group, said: “We were sorry to hear our customer had an issue with his home regarding a leak, but as soon as we were alerted we repaired it, and are now resolving the secondary issues caused by the leak.

“All the works needed are being repaired this month, and some have been done already.

“We are also working with pest control specialists to ensure the issue of pests is resolved as soon as possible. We will be keeping our customer updated throughout.”

READ MORE: Whitehaven parents fear for baby's health in Home Group property