Peterborough resident's plea to be moved after flat becomes 'infested by mice' - but landlord says it’s safe

A Peterborough resident is pleading with her landlord to move her to a new home after her property has reportedly been infested by mice.

Jodie Wallace, from Herlington, Orton Malbourne, claims her apartment is “unfit to live in” after finding nearly 20 live and dead mice in the property within just over one year.

She now wants the Peterborough-based housing association, Cross Keys Homes, to move her into a “safer environment to live.”

However, Cross Keys Homes, who maintain the property, have said Jodie’s home is “completely safe to live in” and they are doing all they can to “eliminate any mice from being able to enter the resident’s home.”

Jodie, who has been living in the property since August 2021, recalled how she found dead mice in the cupboards and under the bath.

"They told me it was suitable to live in, but it was disgusting,” she said.

"By February this year, I had mice in my bedroom and airing cupboard. You can hear them crawling around in the floorboards.

"I’m on edge now to the point where I don’t want to live in my house. I’m scared to go home because I don’t know what I’m going to find.”

Jodie said that Cross Keys Homes sent their own pest control to the property “three or four” times since she first moved into her apartment in August 2021.

But she has continued to experience problems and has called a private pest control company to the property a further four times – including two separate occasions this month.

“I’m absolutely petrified,” she said. “I had a breakdown and panic attack recently, which threw me off for the rest of the day.

"I’ve been through a lot. I lost my mum in May, earlier this year, and I haven’t been myself since.

“I had a meltdown because I was sitting on my sofa and one [mouse] crawled across my living room floor.

“I was in hysterics, crying. I let pest control in and ran out of the house – I wouldn’t go back in. It’s not right and just talking about it puts me on edge.”

Cross Keys Homes said “mice proofing measures” are in place.

A Cross Keys Homes spokesperson said: “We received the first report of a pest problem in January of this year which was rectified within a matter of weeks. We have had no further reports of any further pest problems from this resident until earlier this month.

"Since then, we have been working with the resident to eradicate any mice from her home and our pest contractors attended the property again [on September 26] to find no further activity on the traps and mice proofing measures we put in place earlier this month. However, after speaking with the resident we have left these in place as a precautionary measure.

“Whilst we can fully understand the resident’s frustration, unfortunately pests can be a common problem, especially in places where there are many shops, pubs and takeaway venues. We can confirm the property is completely safe to live in and we are doing all we can to eliminate any mice from being able to enter the resident’s home.”