Last summer, bed bugs hit the headlines after a major infestation swept across Paris. But the pests are increasingly a nuisance closer to home. Here, Claire Tough, Director of Communities and Customer Services at Homes in Sedgemoor, talks about their own battle with the bugs and the steps they’ve taken to try and get on top of the problem.

Background

Last summer you may remember the stark headlines in the news around an emerging bedbug crisis in Paris and other French cities. This promptly raised the profile of the issue that previously had been fairly low-key.

Like many organisations, our bedbug experience had been rather ad-hoc, but in 2019 all that changed when we started to see evidence of an increasing number of reports of bedbugs in one of our blocks of flats.

Our problem emerged in a large block of 81 flats, comprising of one-bed and bedsit homes for people living in Bridgwater, Somerset. Historically, there had been a relatively high turnover of tenants due to the diverse customer group who lived there, predominantly single occupant households.

Planned works programme

The infestation became an issue during a large, planned heating replacement programme to instal a new green heating system. The system was to replace an aging communal gas-boiler system prone to repeated failure. It had also been expensive for our customers with no capacity to control on an individual basis, so this was very new and exciting for all.

The works included the installation of new pipework and trunking into every flat. Works were intrusive and disruptive but access into every flat was necessary. This brought its own challenges, as many customers were reluctant to have the works completed despite the benefits that were promised. As the works progressed the bedbug problem increased and started to spread, despite our best efforts to treat and clear.

Challenges

Through Covid we continued to let homes, but the bedbug issue started to really impact in 2020. Continuing problems meant we had to do something significant to get to the crux of the problem. We gained agreement with the council, as landlord and our sole shareholder, to support our intention to hold vacant properties until the problem could be resolved to an acceptable level. We had let several flats but the impact on residents because of the bugs and disruption from works was becoming increasingly problematic and impacting negatively on customers and our colleagues as they tried to help.

“As time went on, we became experts in the life cycle of a bedbug; bugs become active in warmer conditions and, importantly, where homes were occupied”

Contractor issues exacerbated the problem when works were suspended and then extended due to a change of the primary contractor. This impacted further on the growing number of voids and our ability to react to the infestation quickly.

As time went on, we became experts in the life cycle of a bedbug; bugs become active in warmer conditions and, importantly, where homes were occupied. This being a large block with communal heating meant the bugs had the ideal conditions to thrive all year round. Just as we thought we were getting somewhere, a surge of reports started again. Multiple treatments caused further disruption and protracted the potential to act quickly (already hampered by the ongoing works in the building).

We continued to have several flats where our inability to access posed significant problems and delays invariably resulted in tenancy enforcement action, with court delays also compounding our ability to resolve. These homes were eventually discovered to be the main source of the wider problem.

Dealing with the problem

In 2020 we procured a specialist pest control company with expertise in eradicating bedbugs to treat the problem for us. In truth, I believe they were used to the hospitality industry, which generally has a programme of regular treatments. However, when faced with our particular situation, including issues around timely access, instances of hoarding and the constraints of legal action, they also found things challenging. The introduction of sniffer dogs, Ted and Oakley, was a game changer that provided a more positive focus to dealing with the problem quickly.

Some customers were reluctant to have the dog access their home and for a period we declared a tenancy enforcement amnesty on cannabis found in the home, to access and treat. In several cases, we did need to enforce the tenancy conditions by way of injunction but this was to secure access only. Delays waiting for court dates further protracted our ability to deal with issues quickly. Ted visits were promoted as supportive to resolving the problem and gained a really positive response from customers.

The pest control contractor commenced an intensive programme of treatments in 2020. However, several ongoing management issues within that organisation meant we had to reset the work schedule in July 2022 to ensure we were getting the results we needed, as infestation and reinfestation became an ongoing problem.

“We’ve seen customers experiencing extreme behaviours, including significant anxiety and self-harm due to the extent of the problem and the impact it was having on them”

Due to the nature of the work, a visit by a sniffer dog couldn’t take place within three weeks of a treatment, so all visits and treatments had to be coordinated very closely.

To manage this complex operation more robustly, we invested in a full-time on-site customer liaison officer whose main focus was to build great working relationships with our customers, offering more vulnerable customers practical support and in turn earning their goodwill and cooperation. In addition, strong and frequent communication to provide updates worked well. Managing individual concerns and more complex circumstances was difficult. We were also mindful that visitors to the building and the potential to spread elsewhere in the stock was a real risk. We offered a first treatment in homes outside of the block as a prevention measure, and also where there had been a link with the building.

We produced signage and an information leaflet to explain about bedbugs, what they are and their life cycle. We also sought to provide information about how people can reduce the potential to spread bedbugs within their homes and to other buildings.

Our customers were great and really worked with us to overcome the challenges we were all facing.

Reletting

Historically, the properties concerned had been hard to let, particularly where a sensitive let criteria had been applied to expand the diversity in the block. As a result, letting these homes was always very time-intensive, requiring repeat matches, verification work and viewings until vacancies were filled. We put a lettings plan in place, as we knew we needed to re-establish a community and restore confidence within the block.

We took a multi-agency approach to ensure we were customer-focussed. With support from the council’s housing advice team, we gained agreement that they wouldn’t discharge their duty under homelessness legislation on these properties, as this would essentially remove choice for customers. We wanted new customers to see these refurbished homes and be open and happy about living there.

We created a show flat that was fully furnished to demonstrate what could be achieved in a small bedsit space. The property had previously benefitted from a new kitchen and bathroom so we did a full redecoration; we also provided a modern vinyl floor covering. Previously, carpets and soft furnishings had harboured bugs so we wanted to minimise future potential for this as much as possible.

“Colleagues supported customers to launder and dry clothes as well, in a specially hired laundry facility located on site specifically for the purpose”

We took a phased approach to letting, commencing on the ground floor where we had nine empty homes. Initially and unfortunately, we saw multiple refusals. However, the team worked hard to ensure we had the right customers; we prioritised those in work and provided other small incentives to make these homes a very attractive proposition.

We took the end of March 2024 as our target to let all legacy empty homes; 29 in all, and a small team worked hard to achieve this.

On letting we asked new customers to acknowledge the risk of bugs in the building and to sign to confirm (in addition to their tenancy agreement) that they must allow access for inspections and treatments if required.

We also actively prompted new tenant visits within the first month of the new tenancy commencing so that all new tenants had no hints of a bed bug infestation starting.

The building is currently bug-free and we’re working hard with customers to enhance the outside space.

We’re putting a system of regular treatments in place and have committed to our customers. We’ll continue to support them should any new issues occur. We’re mindful of the impact the cost of living has on people on low income and therefore we support new customers with furniture, such as beds and mattresses, so that contaminated recycled items aren’t brought into the building.

Impact on customers

Bedbugs have had a significant impact on our customers. We’ve seen customers experiencing extreme behaviours, including significant anxiety and self-harm due to the extent of the problem and the impact it was having on them.

Aside from treatments to the individual flats, we supported customers to remove and dispose of property and wash clothes and soft furnishings at a temperature of 60 degrees or above to kill them off. Although there was a laundry facility in the building, it was insufficient to deal with the volume of clothes etc we were required to wash and dry within the short treatment window we had to prevent reinfestation.

We employed two colleagues to help customers remove and dispose of their personal property, with the worst affected customers only able to keep sentimental items (which included sealing and storing items in dry storage for over a year until all bugs had died). This was obviously a really difficult time for our customers – and colleagues, who understood the impact the situation was having on people’s mental and physical health. Colleagues supported customers to launder and dry clothes as well, in a specially hired laundry facility located on site specifically for the purpose.

Colleagues continued to each be on-site three days a week. They managed the day-to-day management of the scheme including:

• Liaising with the contractor and organising treatments and works related to bedbugs
• Dealing with removal of infested furniture
• Coordinating contractors, including flooring, decorators, responsive repairs, specialist furniture removal and cleaning
• Offering a well-utilised support function for residents which has in turn created the goodwill and buy in needed for the bedbug project
• Assisting with tenant visits
• Assisting with block inspections.

For those customers who lost much of their furniture and clothes, we committed to purchasing new replacement items. We also provided attractive replacement vinyl flooring to reduce the potential for further problems. Communal spaces were treated and flooring replaced, and all customers were provided with a service for items to be wrapped in plastic prior to being removed from their flats.

Management to support the customer group has been extensive throughout. We’ve:

• Utilised a property as a site office to coordinate on-site works and support customers. This was cheaper than bringing additional temporary facilities on site and provided confidence and immediate support to all those affected
• Recruited a dedicated officer to assist customers to pack up, dispose of and launder their belongings
• Extended the tenant liaison officer for the heating contract to support the above. These officers have now had their contracts extended further to support the letting of all empty homes. Their roles include:
  • Liaising with specialist contractors and organising treatments and works related to bedbugs
  • Dealing with the removal of infested furniture
  • Coordinating contractors, including flooring, decorators, response repairs, specialist cleaning and clearance etc.

Over the period we held off the letting of 29 flats as a result of bedbugs, which has resulted in a significant rent loss as well as having a huge impact on our overall letting figures for the year. Currently, we have no flats receiving active treatments. We have a plan in place for on-going treatments due to the nature of the issues we’ve experienced.

Throughout our concerns have been:

• Risk of reinfestation for new customers. This happened when we first attempted reletting. The resulting complaint and cost to the organisation as well as stress for the customer and colleagues involved was high
• The welfare of a vulnerable customer group already residing in the building
• Increased workload for all involved if re-reinfestation occurs
• Risk to organisational reputation.

When we restarted letting, we undertook to take the following steps:

• Wait for a period when all new reports of activity had ceased
• Consult our contractor on recommended steps to prepare flats for relet – eg, additional treatments
• Actively inform potential applicants of the issue in the block so they can make an informed choice; we felt it paid to be open, honest and transparent
• Negotiate with the council’s housing advice team so that they don’t discharge their duty under homelessness legislation on these homes, which would essentially remove the choice for these customers
• Put in place a lettings plan to include a sensitive let on all properties to reduce housing management issues. We also sought to prioritise those in work
• Create a show flat and offer white goods and beds to all new customers to the block
• Ensure a continued presence on site to support the lettings process and manage the scheme, considering the potential number of new customers, the high support needs of those already living there and the potential risk of more cases as the number of tenants rises.