Residents of one UK council estate have complained of rats making massive holes in their homes.
Those living on the Dalton estate in Huddersfield also claim repair jobs on the properties are often botched. Drugs and anti-social behaviour are other problems, they say.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told YorkshireLive her interactions with the council have been "shocking". She has lived on the estate for over a decade.
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She spoke of how rats had previously made their way into her kitchen cupboards, leaving her fearing for her health.
While this problem has been remedied, the resident said she is frustrated after waiting more than 12 months for a new kitchen she was "promised" that is adapted to her needs.
She also explained her bills had increased to over £200 per month due to holes in the wood around the property. She added: "It’s not a nice place. I wouldn’t like to think I’d have to spend my last days here."
Residents also spoke of drug issues, bikes riding in the streets in the early hours of the morning, and having outdoor furniture stolen. One resident said: "There are too many drugs. There’s so much going on around here."
Councillor Cathy Scott, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy, said: "We are committed to making sure our council houses and estates are safe places that tenants feel happy to call home. As such we take reports of necessary repairs, adaptations, and anti-social behaviour seriously and aim to carry out essential work as soon as possible.
"Although the financial challenges affecting the council and housing sector may influence our planning and execution of works, we know how much these essential repairs and adaptations matter to our tenants, and we continue to prioritise them within our budget.
"Regarding anti-social behaviour, we work closely with the Police and Safer Kirklees to address any specific concerns.
"Residents are encouraged to speak to their Housing Officer or our Customer Experience Team when they have concerns, this way we can escalate issues as appropriate and address any delays as quickly as possible."
It comes after tougher measures were brought in by the government to regulate social housing.
Last month, the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 which will see a clamp down on rogue social landlords received Royal Assent.
On its website, the government outlines the "groundbreaking changes" brought forward by the law which include giving the social housing regulator more powers to carry out regular inspections and hand out unlimited fines to failing social landlords.
On top of this, social housing managers must now hold professional qualifications and time limits can be set on how long a social landlord has to tackle issues like mould, and damp. The obligation for landlords to promptly remedy health and safety hazards comes as part of Awaab's Law, following the tragic case of Awaab Ishak – a toddler who died as a result of mould in his home.
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