Chung v Malle, Central London County Court 12th July 2021
This case involves a tenant complaint that the property was unfit to occupy due to an infestation of bed bugs from the mattress and bedframe provided by the landlord in a student type accommodation. The tenant had paid 3 months’ rent in advance.
The tenant (a university student) moved into the property and shortly after began to suffer from irritable skin which got worse over the following days. The tenant discovered bloodstains on the mattress and bites all over his body together with two live bed bugs under the mattress and others in the bedframe. The bedframe and mattress had been supplied by the landlord with the property. The tenant reported the problem to the landlord who arranged for the mattress to be changed the next day. This did not resolve the issue and despite the tenant notifying the landlord the bed bugs were not eradicated.
The landlord did not treat the infestation or provide alternative accommodation so the tenant had to leave the property and seek alternative accommodation. The landlord pursued the tenant for unpaid rent for the remainder of the tenancy term.
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