A frustrated mum has been awarded a rent rebate after she unknowingly moving into a rat infested council house .
Fiona Waterfield, 26, says the two-bedroom home was let out within a month of the previous resident's death.
The disgusted cleaner said she was horrified to find a rats' nest in the kitchen and claimed the 'unbearable stench' had affected her young daughter's health, reports Birmingham Live .
Ruby, seven, suffers from several respiratory conditions, including severe asthma, reoccurring pneumonia, a number of allergies and mild eczema.
Fiona said: "We moved here to better her health but, in the three months we’ve lived here, she has been in and out of the hospital and been prescribed steroids and antibiotics.
"Every four hours she needs her inhaler so it’s affecting her very badly."
Fiona said her daughter had been admitted to hospital once a month since they moved in in April.
She has been awarded a rent rebate but now wants Birmingham City Council to replace the kitchen.
She added: "It’s really upsetting."
"I suffer from anxiety and I know the rats are there and that there will be serious trouble if they get out and bite my daughter.
"She was alright for the first week but it went downhill from there.
"We hear squeaks and scratching behind the skirting boards.
"I asked my friend to remove the cupboard board and it was covered in droppings.
"It makes me not want to cook because the smell is so horrible. I won’t let my daughter go into the kitchen for anything.”
"It’s not up to standard at all. The kitchen has rotted, the council hasn't done anything to the house at all.
"I don’t want to do anything in the kitchen because of the horrible smell, it’s disgusting.”
“A housing officer told me the house should not have been let out yet.
"I’ve been told by neighbours that the elderly woman who lived here before me passed away and within four weeks they let the house out.”
Asked if she would move from the house, Fiona, said: “My daughter is happy here, It’s our first house, we have a garden now and she has made friends.
"I don’t want to take her away from that, she goes through quite a lot with her health and I don’t want to upset that. It’s hard.
“I like to cook from fresh and make sure Ruby is getting all the vitamins she needs but you don’t want to go in there because the smell is disgusting.
"As soon as you walk in the kitchen you can smell it. The smell is inexplainable, it’s nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”
"Ruby is in and out of hospital and has to have days off school because her asthma regularly flares up.
“She couldn’t eat for a week and was throwing up, it has affected her quite badly.
"She’s not like that when she’s not at home. She’s been in hospital every month since we’ve been there now.
“The council has put poison down but within a week or two, the rats coming back. They need to replace the kitchen because it’s disgusting.”
"It puts me off inviting people to the house."
Fiona is also fighting the council for a new back door. She says the existing door lets in cold air and aggravates her daughter’s illnesses.
A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said: "Ms Waterfield first reported the issue on May 9, 2019 and a contractor was immediately sent to identify and repair any work that was necessary.
Unfortunately, there were complications with making the required repairs, which is why there have been delays to fixing the property.
"Officers have been to the property to address the issues raised with rats.
"Our sincere apologies have been given to the family and a rebate will be provided as appropriate."
