Rats affecting you from a property or land not occupied by you.

The Environmental Health team has specific legal powers within the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, to take steps to ensure that owners and occupiers of land keep their land free from large numbers of rats and mice. The legislation provides the Council with powers to require the owner or occupier of land infested by rats or mice to take any steps that are deemed to be necessary to deal with the infestation. 

If you believe that a property or land that is not your own is infested with rats or mice, please contact Environmental Health on 01908 252398

If a complaint is received, an officer will investigate the alleged offending premises and may visit neighbouring properties to assess the following:

• Any food source that maybe encouraging vermin
• Any form of harbourage (nesting) for vermin

If either of the above evidence is present at time of visit, the officer may formally require the property owner or occupier to remove such items. This could be in the form of a legal notice.

Issues that would generally not be enforceable for the team under the above legislation include overgrown gardens or build-up of inert waste (such as fridges, car parts, builders rubble, furniture, broken glass)

When making a complaint we will need the following information from you:

• Your names, full address, telephone number
• Address of the problem property or land and exact location of the rubbish or waste
• Whether the problem property is vacant or occupied
• What the rubbish and waste consists of.

Please note that the Environmental Health team DOES NOT:

• Carry out pest control treatment
• Investigate complaints of improper display of rubbish for collection or littering – please report to the Environmental Crime team
• Carry out pest control treatment of public land – reports of infestations on council land will be passed to the MKC department responsible for the upkeep of the land.

Rats nesting on land that you own or occupy 

If rats are nesting on land that you own or occupy it is your responsibility under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to undertake effective pest control treatment. Environmental Health can investigate neighbouring properties to assist your pest control treatment if there is evidence of additional food sources encouraging rats into the area.

Information about pest control treatments and services can be found on our Pest Control page.