Landlord problems

Krisd2014

Well, I'm a student and living in this ****hole of a house with a ****er of a landlord. There's been a rat in the house since September and we told the landlord many times and he kept going on about how he was gonna get someone in to get rid of it while we were on holidays. Which I had a feeling he was chatting ****e. Came back after holidays and my housemate had a hole about the size of two fists in his bedroom floor and all his mattress and bags were chewed up. The rat is still there I can hear it running across the ceiling during the night. I was gonna tell landlord I'm moving out if he didn't take the finger out and sort it, because if I left he would not get anyone else to move in until next college year and lose out big time. I wouldn't be serious about it coz I'd have no where to go. And another thing he was taking money out of our deposits to fill up the oil tank without telling us he was filling it and this house is like a ice box even with the oil. No other housemate wanted to pay for oil either but they aren't really the talkative type so they won't say anything to him. I just want to know is he allowed to do that because he told us at start of year filling up the oil was up to us if we wanted it man needs to be sorted out just checking if I have a leg to stand on here

BabySlam

Speak to your college accommodation officer - this is a health and safety issue now.

Victor

Moved from Third-Level Accommodation.

Moderator

handlemaster

Maybe its his pet rat !!! Seriously. Move out before the rat eats your piggy toe

Eldarion

I can also almost guarantee it's a stipulation in your lease that you're responsible for heating the property somewhat during the winter months to prevent damage to the property. You have a duty of care as tenants and allowing the property to go unheated during winter is asking for burst pipes.

conorhal

Rat trap - 2 Euro.

Maintaining a level of cleanliness that doesn't result in an infestation of vermin - Priceless!

Chemical Byrne

Given that he is so feckless, did it ever cross your mind at all, for something as simple as this, to just take matters into your own hands and go down to the hardware and buy a rat trap or a packet of Storm? It would be hell of a lot cheaper than having your stuff chewed up.

I swear, some tenants behave like babies and want to be waited on hand and foot.

cerastes

OP
the thing is its the tenants responsibility to heat a property and to keep it heated in the cold to prevent deterioration of the property, your landlord told you so, if he filled the tank or partly, then you must be using the oil to heat the house, but are unwilling to pay for it to be refilled?
All the same, not sure how you're so cold, we only had basic CH years ago, solid fuel, only when the fire went on after 4 or 5pm.
Burst pipes from the cold weather and airlocked boilers due to the tank being run dry are an added cost and hassle for the landlord and for you, if no one wants to pay for the oil then its going to create other problems.
Ideally gas with a basic boiler on a prepay meter is the best idea for students.
Also, if the property is vacant as you are not there and in many instances I have seen of tenants, particularily students, something or many things have been left that attract vermin, unemptied bins, food about the place, easier to keep them away than it is to get rid of them.

Personally Id be moving rather than threatening it, I would not be brushing my teeth with the water, checking the attic and get some rat traps between you.

Not sure, is it likely there is only one rat??? someone may know?
maybe get someone that knows how to deal with them? or locate someone for the landlord, sure I read on here of ferrets being used to hunt out rats.