A student claims she has been unable to use her flat for four months after her room was "infested" with "bed bugs".
The student at a Liverpool university, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the ECHO she began getting bitten in February and has had to sleep on the sofa in her sister's house since. In that time, she said she paid over £1,700 in rent for a room that she claims she could not use.
The student property on Holt Road in Kensington is managed by Address Properties. The student had been paying £95 a week in rent until her contract ended on June 29.
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She told the ECHO : "It was on February 23 that I first saw one of the bugs. I moved out of the room and I stayed on my sister's sofa.
"Then I emailed them after that and moved to my sister's properly on the 25. Not being from Liverpool, I didn't really know what to do."
The student said, after speaking to Address Properties and telling them the room was "infested", pest control first came out to deal with the bug issue in her room on March 20. She said they confirmed she did have an infestation of bed bugs in the house, which she said was proved by a video she had. As a result, she said the pest control suggested a three-part treatment to deal with the issue, beginning March 31.
She said the treatment caused disruption while she and her housemates were busy with university work. She added: "Every time there was a treatment, my whole house had to move out for four or five hours."
After stripping her bed before the treatment, the student also noticed the mattress was "covered in stains". She complained about this in her email to Address Properties on February 23, but it took until May for it to be confirmed that the landlord would replace the mattress.
The student said she was living at her sister's house and sleeping on the sofa while the three-stage treatment was taking place and as she waited for a replacement mattress. She moved back into the property on Holt Road on June 8, a few weeks after the final treatment, believing that the issue was fixed and knowing that the mattress was replaced.
However, she said this did not fix the problem. The student told the ECHO she had to move out again just one day later as she found another bed bug, which crawled over her.
She said: "I was sitting on my bed and I just saw this bug on me". She sent an email to Address Properties on June 10, which read: "I have been here for approximately one day and I’m having to move out again due to finding yet another bed bug, this time it was crawling on me. Quite clearly this issue has not been resolved and it’s still ongoing. The treatment obviously has not worked in the way in which hoped and I request something gets done immediately."
A reply from the property firm, dated June 14 and seen by the ECHO, said: "Thank you for your email. We are currently seeking advice from the pest control company at the next best approach. In the meantime, can you please confirm you have washed all clothing items/fabrics and bedding on the hottest possible setting?"
A further email sent by Address Properties on that day, read: "I fully understand your frustration here.
"Your landlord has and will continue to do all that they can to get this issue resolved for you. After speaking to the Pest Control company the bed bugs could be coming into the property from yourself or even one of the other tenants. Just to make you aware from past experience, landlords have always refused to pay for a bedbug treatment and tenants have had to cover this cost themselves however on this occasion your landlord has been happy to cover the cost's and has carried out any works that have been needed."
She said that the issue had "ruined" her year living in the house. She and her friends are moving into a new flat for next academic year, but she hopes that the bed bug issue at Holt Road is fixed before new tenants move in.
Address Properties has been contacted for comment.
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