Mum desperate to leave 'rat-infested' home

Ms Eniola lives in a council property with her adult daughter and severely disabled son

A mother has begun legal proceedings against her local authority over the conditions in her council house, which a pest control report found was uninhabitable due to a rat infestation.

Ms Eniola – who preferred that her first name not be used – has lived in the property in Neasden, north London, since 1992. She shares the house with her adult daughter and her son, who is severely disabled.

She said: "My family is struggling to breathe in the house, we have rat bites all over our body [and] I have no good drinking water as the kitchen sink is busted."

Brent Council said it acknowledged Ms Eniola's concerns and had taken multiple steps to address them.

'Tired of being ignored'

The family described feeling "depressed" living in the damp and rat-infested property and said they were desperate for the council to move them out.

Ms Eniola told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she was now taking the matter to court because she was "tired of being ignored" and the house was beyond repair.

She said: "The council never wanted to remedy the situation as it's expensive due to the major works that the house needs.

"I don't want to die early; who will take care of my disabled son? I just want to leave Brent permanently and move to another [area] for a fresh start.

"Brent Council has terrorised me and my family by keeping us in dangerous housing despite reports saying it's not safe."

Since first raising the issues more than three years ago, Ms Eniola claims the council has sent a number of surveyors round to the property but the reports are never followed up on.

She said: "[The council] say they have no record of it and just book another one in.

"In one year alone we had six surveyors come round but they refuse to acknowledge the reports."

'Not fit to live in'

Brent Council's pest control service inspected the property on 12 November 2024, and confirmed the presence of a "rodent infestation".

In a report seen by the LDRS, the officer believed the home to be "fully infested with mice and rats", with mould and damp having "overtaken the entire house".

The report concludes: "Considering the current rodent infestation and mould... it is highly advisable to move out tenants due to the vulnerability of the son as it is not fit to live [in]. [The whole] house needs refurbishing due to historical mould and rodent infestation in the property."

In her legal case against the council, Ms Eniola cites ongoing disrepair issues, which include sewer damage allowing rats to enter the property, damp and mould growth, and damage to the kitchen sink that causes "foul odours" to spread throughout the house.

She said her son's asthma had worsened in the house and he had had to be taken for emergency medical treatment.

She added: "We're all inhaling black mould and we're depressed due to living here."

Ms Eniola's solicitors are awaiting a date when the case will be heard at the county court.

A Brent Council spokesperson said: "Since 2024, several repair cases have been raised and surveyor visits have been arranged.

"Various professionals, including pest control specialists and surveyors, have attended the property.

"The council also offered the family temporary alternative accommodation within the borough to allow the necessary repairs to be carried out safely and effectively.

"Unfortunately, Ms Eniola declined this offer, which has delayed our ability to complete the recommended works."