Hi, I’m looking for advice about a private rented student HMO in Derby.
I recently moved into a room in a shared house and noticed a strong urine-like smell coming from the bedroom carpet almost immediately after moving in. I reported it to the landlord/letting agent, along with some other condition issues in the room.
The landlord arranged carpet shampooing, which improved some of the visible issues, but the urine smell remained (it was actually made worse from the liquid reactivating the urine!). They then arranged an enzyme treatment and said it would need time to work before being vacuumed. However, after the waiting period, the smell is still very noticeable (the urine likely seeped below the carpet).
The odour has been affecting my ability to use the room normally:
- I am struggling to sleep unless I keep the window open.
- I avoid eating in the room.
- I have cancelled having friends over because of the smell.
- Clothes left near the floor can pick up the smell.
- I have experienced chest irritation and discomfort while in the room, which improves when I leave.
The landlord seemed irritated and said they cannot smell it themselves, but it is very obvious to me. I understand smell sensitivity varies, but it is strong enough that it is affecting my day-to-day life.
I have tried giving the landlord the opportunity to resolve it, but I am concerned that repeated cleaning attempts are not fixing the underlying issue (it has been going on for over 2 weeks)
I’m considering contacting the council’s private housing/environmental health team and have also sought housing advice.
I would appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced something similar:
- Would the council consider this worth reporting if the main issue is persistent odour/possible contamination?
- Is there anything else I should ask the landlord to do before escalating?
- Could this potentially be grounds to negotiate leaving the tenancy early?