WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES. 34-year-old Gary Alman was excited to move into his new flat earlier this year, but was quickly met with issues with a smell of urine filling his home
A man says he was abruptly forced out of his home after making a grim discovery in the cellar of his flat, and now he’s left living in a hotel.
Gary Alman, 34, moved into the property earlier this year, and settled in well to the property, but was quickly met with problems after taking the tenancy. Out of nowhere, in April, Gary noticed a persistent smell of urine filling the entire flat.
He said the smell lasted for around two weeks, but it was until a tradesperson opened the cellar door that the full scale of the problem was revealed. Gary said it ‘knocked him sick’ in the process and forced him out of his home and into temporary accommodation.
“I phoned Riverside housing and told them there’s a strong smell of p***, and there were holes outside the bay window going down into the cellar. But I was basically told there was no problem,” he told the Liverpool Echo “I phoned the pest control and I put the job in myself and that’s when the problem really revealed itself.”
“When the pest control guy came in, he goes, ‘WOW! Why does it smell so bad in here?,” he added, “When he checked under the kitchen cupboards, there was, and I’m not exaggerating, 100 pieces of rat s***, just under one unit.”
“We then went outside, down the side of the drains, opened the manhole and that was completely blocked with wet-wipes, but it had clear access points, and it was obvious the rats were getting in from there.”
After visits from Riverside contractors, it was confirmed there was a serious problem with the drainage system, alongside the rats in the property. He added: “The contractor goes to check the cellar, but when he gets through the door, there’s about 200 pieces of rat s*** just on the first step.
“It was unbelievable, but not the worst of it and the smell was absolutely horrendous. When I eventually got down the steps later on, I found a river of human faeces flowing on the cellar floor. I’ve never seen anything like it and it knocked me sick.”
He says the situation forced him out of his home and into the temporary accommodation as he says Riverside housing association didn’t resolve the situation immediately. He said: “I thought, like anyone would, the problem was so serious that Riverside would get it sorted straight away, but they didn’t. I was forever ringing them up on the phone asking when everything would be resolved.
“It’s gotten so bad now that they’ve had to move me into a hotel. So effectively, I’ve been moved out of my own home by these rats and Riverside have not told me when, how or if I’ll ever be able to get back living at home again.”
Prior to moving into the property, Gary also encountered problems at his previous flat and receiving a £8,000 homeless compensation grant, he was happy to be offered the flat and made it a home, however explains this has put a strain on his health.
“Just recently, and under one of the other cupboards, there was a dead rat. Just horrible. My health has deteriorated and my private consultant and my GP are very concerned about me because I have bowel problem which has been caused by this situation with the stress anxiety and depression of not knowing when its going to be safe to go back.
“The hotel where I am is horrible and I don’t feel safe going outside, even for some fresh air. I just don’t know what to do.”
A spokesperson for Riverside Housing told the Liverpool Echo that it was first alerted to reports of rats in Gary’s home on May 14 while responding to questions about the current state of Gary’s living conditions. The spokesperson added: “We understand how distressing this situation has been for Mr Alman and apologise for the inconvenience that he has experienced.
“We want to reassure Mr Alman that we are working to solve these issues as a matter of urgency and will continue to keep him updated of progress. Following visits by our pest control contractors to inspect and bait Mr Alman’s home, there has been no further pest activity detected.
“We will however be arranging a follow-up in visit in the coming weeks. We have also appointed contractors to investigate the drainage issues in the communal basement, and we are awaiting their report before deciding next steps.”
