Hello Flat Chatters,

Another rat infestation problem which I hope you can assist with (original post HERE). My daughter, son-in-law and 10 month old granddaughter are owners of a unit where there is what can only be described as an out of control rat problem owing to the neighbour above them (an owner) leaving food out on her windowsills to attract birds & possums.

There are rats climbing the trees and sitting on the my granddaughter’s bedroom windowsill and the problem is so bad that my daughter and son-on-law are afraid to open any windows. I’m talking broad daylight here. The rats are fearless and are obviously encouraged by the feeding source being provided on the neighbour’s kitchen windowsill. Strata management has been approached, so far no response. My daughter has taken videos of the rats.

What is strata’s obligations in terms of pest control – is it necessary to hold a meeting or does this constitute a public health risk and needs to be dealt with immediately (that’s my view).

A bit of background – the neighbour upstairs has received infringement notices from strata in the past for leaving food scraps out however she continues to do this. I understand that she may have a mental health issue so it could be complicated to get her to comply.

However, a rat infestation is dangerous on many levels for the other residents of the block. Should my daughter get anyone else involved eg local council, NSW health? Any advice greatly appreciated!