Filthy and Verminous Premises

These are properties, which are prejudicial to health or a nuisance, as a result of a variety of reasons, e.g. rodent infestation, accumulations of rubbish and unsanitary conditions.

Once the council has been notified of such a premises, an Environmental Health Officer from the Residential Services Unit will carry out an inspection of the premises to determine if enforcement action is required. Once this has been determined, discussions with the owner/occupier will take place to try and gain an agreement to remove all rubbish and articles and to thoroughly clean the property. If the owner/occupier fails to comply, the council can serve a statutory notice requiring the property to be cleansed and all rubbish and filthy articles removed.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the notice may result in either prosecution and/or the council carrying out the works in default (i.e. appointing a contractor) and recovering the costs back from the owner/occupier.

If you require further information please contact please contact us on 01702 318146 / 318050 or email privatesectorhousing@rochford.gov.uk