A horrified scholar and her housemates had been compelled to maneuver out of their mouldy rented home after they discovered rats drowning in the bathroom.

Elle Silvester, 20, and her housemates discovered the rodents caught beneath the waterline in the bathroom bowl two mornings in a row – and noticed them continually scurrying across the kitchen at their £4,200-a-month residence in Canterbury, Kent.

The rat invasion added to an inventory of issues for the College of Kent college students, which included mould, dripping faucets and a damaged washer.

And after discovering the rats in December the scholars lastly moved out on February 11 – however Miss Silvester expressed concern they might be nonetheless on the hook for lease for the entire size of the contract.

Miss Silvester moved into the home at the beginning of time period in September final 12 months together with six pals – and it was the primary time she had lived off-campus.

Elle Silvester (pictured), 20, and her flatmates who go to the University of Kent, moved out of their rented home in Canterbury after they found mould and rats

Elle Silvester (pictured), 20, and her flatmates who go to the College of Kent, moved out of their rented residence in Canterbury after they discovered mould and rats 

The students found rats stuck below the waterline in the toilet bowl (pictured) two mornings in a row

The scholars discovered rats caught beneath the waterline in the bathroom bowl (pictured) two mornings in a row

And after finding the rats in December the students finally moved out of their rented home in Canterbury on February 11

And after discovering the rats in December the scholars lastly moved out of their rented residence in Canterbury on February 11

Ms Silvester mentioned: ‘One in every of our housemates woke as much as discover the ungodly sight of a rat in our shared ladies’ bathroom.

‘The rat, nonetheless alive, could not get out of the bathroom bowl and drowned. We reported it and disposed of it in a plastic bag within the bin.

‘The subsequent morning, the identical factor occurred. As soon as once more, it drowned and we up to date the letting brokers instantly.

‘We thought we had been being paranoid, however the identical evening we noticed a rat run throughout our kitchen and conceal behind our fridge.’

Rats can maintain their breath for 3 minutes and may navigate slim pipes by collapsing their ribs. They’re additionally in a position to tread water for 3 days.

The tenants alerted the letting agent that manages the property, Varsity Canterbury, who specialises in ‘distinctive high quality scholar lodging’.

They despatched some traps however the housemates had been unable to catch any rats and continued to listen to them scurrying round the home.

Ms Silvester mentioned: ‘To be instructed there was no rodent exercise after we might clearly hear it was past irritating.’

Miss Silvester and her flatmates found their student home brimming with mould, which they claim was caused by a leaky roof

A large patch of black mould in the corner of the Canterbury house

Miss Silvester and her flatmates discovered their scholar residence brimming with mould, which they declare was attributable to a leaky roof

The rats weren’t the one challenge the housemates needed to put up with.

Ms Silvester added: ‘So many issues arose which made residing an absolute headache.

‘At first it was little issues like dripping faucets, a damaged washer and damaged drawers.

‘Then the sunshine went within the boys’ lavatory with no home windows, which meant that they had to make use of the flashlights on their telephones in the event that they wished to have the ability to see.

‘Then we moved onto having mould. We would clear it and it could come straight again it doesn’t matter what we did.

‘The property supervisor instructed us “mould is a matter attributable to excessive humidity”.

‘We have since came upon that it was attributable to a leak within the roof.’

The group contacted Varsity in November however in response to the scholars no one got here to take a look at the extent of the mould.

As an alternative, they obtained an e mail from the property supervisor detailing the way to clear mould and the explanations it seems.

They added that if the steps are adopted ‘any mould challenge ought to deteriorate over time’.

A subsequent well being verify on the home discovered {that a} gap within the roof had led to a leak inflicting the mould.

The 20-year-old scholar mentioned: ‘Finally, the entire ordeal has been hectic and uncomfortable. We could not bear the rats or mould anymore.

‘It is affected our research and it is affected our social and private lives.’

The rat horror was the breaking level for the tenants, who moved out on February 11 after commissioning an impartial well being inspection.

Checks carried out on February 6 and 14, discovered a leak within the roof, mould and contemporary rodent droppings.

A report by the inspector, who was engaged on behalf of actual property consultants Hollis, additionally highlighted that planning permission had not been sought to ‘configure’ the property as a ‘seven-bedroom HMO’ (home of a number of occupancy).

A spokesman for Canterbury Metropolis Council mentioned: ‘We’re involved to listen to concerning the difficulties that the residents of this property have been having.

‘No complaints about its situation had been made to us, so we weren’t conscious of those points till the report from the surveyor arrived in latest days.

‘Because of that report coming in, an inspection go to by our personal sector housing crew has been organized for later this week.

‘It’s the accountability of the property proprietor to hunt permission if the use modifications from a house to a home in a number of occupation.

‘Such a permission has not been hunted for this property and we’ll be investigating this now we now have been made conscious of it.’

The students found a rat lying at the back of their fridge among the electronics

The scholars discovered a rat mendacity in the back of their fridge among the many electronics

A spokesperson for Varsity Canterbury mentioned: ‘We sympathise with any tenants who encounter issues throughout their tenancy and we’ll at all times work shortly to handle points reported to us on behalf of the owner.

‘On this specific case, every time a difficulty has been reported, we have organized for a related skilled contractor to attend on the homeowners’ behalf – in some instances inside hours of the report.

‘It is not at all times doable for points to be resolved instantly and sometimes they require additional appointments and likewise motion from the tenants.

‘The tenants declare that the owner does not have the related permissions to let the property however the landlord claims in any other case and we perceive he’s at the moment in discussions with the council concerning this.’

They added that the property has an HMO licence and when the council visited in September it raised ‘solely a few minor and routine restore suggestions which had been accomplished by the owner’.