Lancaster flat with damp and rat infestation 'not fit for dog to live in'

Lewis Dunstan said the flat in Jubilee Court in Castle Grove, owned by Adactus Housing, is uninhabitable due to damp, an unfinished kitchen and an infestation of flies and rats.

Lewis, 32, had been homeless before taking up the property in January - moving in a month late after Adactus asked him to delay while they carried out repairs.

But as soon as he moved in, he discovered several issues with the flat.

"Nothing had been done," he said. "I have no kitchen - all I have is a sink and a cupboard and cooker.

"I have no bath panel so the damp is bad, and you can hear rats chewing through the plasterwork.

"There's a smell of dead rats coming through the walls and the place is full of flies. It's disgusting."

Lewis said there was also an attempted break-in in the ground floor property, which has left damage to the windows, and there are also bags of waste piling up outside his door which haven't been collected.

"I wouldn't put a dog in here - it's unliveable," he said.

Lewis said he has refused to pay his rent since lockdown began, because he has failed in his attempts to get any of concerns listened to.

"They are not interested," he said. "They say they are sending someone out but no one ever turns up. They brush it off any way they can. I have never seen anyone from Adactus or anyone else about these issues.

"A housing association should be doing better than that."

Lewis said other residents in the 14 flats have also complained of similar issues, and one has since been condemned.

Mathew George, operations director – asset management for Adactus Housing, said: “We are aware of the issues with Mr Dunstan’s home and have been working with him to help address them, since they were reported to us earlier this year.

"This has included attending the property to carry out inspections and a number of repairs. We have also ordered work from a pest control service to address the issue with rats. This work is continuing and we are keeping Mr Dunstan informed of progress.”