Rushden-based Longhurst Group apologises after disabled man was left living in a breaking, vermin-infested home for weeks

A disabled man was left living in a vermin-infested house as maggots from dead rats fell from his ceiling, a report found.

The Housing Ombudsman found multiple failures by Longhurst Group, which owns the home near Easton on the Hill in Northamptonshire, had a ‘seriously detrimental effect’ on the man.

A report found it took nine days to clear dead rats from the house after a pest controller had put bait trays down to kill them in September 2020.

Just over a fortnight later, the resident reported ‘maggots were falling from the ceiling in the kitchen from dead rats in the attic’ and this had continued for weeks after.

A contractor had been meant to deep clean his kitchen but did not turn up.

Replacement of loft insulation and other roof repairs were needed following the rat infestation but took months to be done and there was a partial return of the rats.

In September 2022, the resident complained work to the roof and a wet room still had not been done.

The man said other work had left him living without a proper toilet for a time.

He said work on his home was botched over two years from September 2020.

He said damp proofing failed and the new wet room smelled ‘horrible’ as a drain blocked every time he used it. He also said the wet room’s floor was ‘lifting’ and there was mould on the walls.

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said the case was ‘deeply concerning’. He said there had been ‘excessive delays’ in dealing with the man’s problems and his office found two cases of severe maladministration proven.

Longhurst Group said it took ‘full responsibility’ for the failings. It said it was dealing with a works backlog that formed during the Covid pandemic.

In a statement, the Rushden-based landlord said: “We completely accept the severe maladministration finding, and we’re determined to learn from the mistakes we’ve made.

“Our customers rely on us to support them when they need us the most, and we need to make sure we get things right.”

The ombudsman told the company to pay a total of £2,300 to the man.

That includes £1,000 it had earlier offered, another £1,000 for the impact of the multiple problems and £300 for the way it dealt with the man’s complaints.