Woman forced to sleep in shipping container after flat became infested with rats

A young woman has described how she ended up living in a shipping container for three months after her flat became infested with rats. 

Tia Henderson, 20, has spent the past five months sofa surfing and resorted to sleeping in a shipping container and her friends’ car after the rodents took over.

Tia, who was in foster care until she turned 18, has spent the past two years living in a ground-floor flat in Oldham with her dog and best friend Tiny.

The 20-year-old was perfectly happy in her flat, until she started to hear noises in her wall during the summer which left her convinced she was ‘going crazy’. 

Then, one day, as she was sitting on the sofa, TIa noticed two rodents wandering around her kitchen and immediately called pest control, who later informed her there was likely a ‘big infestation’ of rodents.

Tia claims that when she contacted the council to find emergency accommodation she was offered options that did not accept pets and felt like there was nowhere else to turn.

Almost six months on, the issue is still not resolved, with Tia classed as being ‘intentionally homeless’ due to her not accepting the offer of temporary accommodation.

Tia Henderson, 20, has been forced to live in a shipping container and couch-surf for three months after her flat became infested with rats (Picture: MEN Media)

Tia contacted pest control after seeing two rats scuttling across her floor, who informed her she likely had a ‘big infestation’ (Picture: MEN Media)

With no options left, she was eventually forced to move into a shipping container at an animal centre where she volunteers before sleeping in her friends’ car and sofa surfing.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Tia said: ‘I had been living in my property in Chadderton independently. I was happy there, had made memories, I had friends nearby and life was great. Until June 2022 when I heard scratching in the walls. I convinced myself I was going crazy.

‘One afternoon I was sat watching tv in the living room with the dog when two baby rats caught my eye in the kitchen.

‘They were confidently playing around on my kitchen rug as if I wasn’t less than a foot away from them.

‘I was mortified. I instantly felt itchy and horrible. My flat was clean and tidy so I had no idea where they had come from. Pest control came out and put their first lots of poison down. When they came to check it a week later it was gone. I was told there must have been a big infestation for it to be eaten that quickly.’

In videos Tia shared with the Manchester Evening News, the rats can be seen running around in her kitchen in July this year. On return visits to the apartment, she has taken pictures of a number of rats dead in the property.

‘I was back homeless, sleeping in a friend’s car, and now sofa surfing wherever would have me and the dog,’ she added.

‘In 2019 during the middle of the Covid pandemic, I was kicked out of foster care at 18 years old with my dog, who was a puppy at the time, and had to apply to be on the housing register just like everyone else but was told over and over again that having a dog was an issue.

‘I made a commitment to my dog when I got him. A dog is for life. I have no family, he is my only family. I explained that he saved my life and kept my mental health stable.’

Every time Tia returned home she was greeted with rat corpses strew across her floor (Picture: MEN Media)

Oldham council have since promised to find Tia temporary accomodation until the issue is resolved (Credits: MEN Media)

A spokesperson for Oldham Council, said: ‘We are sorry to hear that one of our residents has been dealing with an infestation in her property. 

‘We can confirm that this resident is currently living in temporary accommodation while the issue is addressed and some repairs are carried out. We have offered to pay for the temporary accommodation and, once complete, she will be able to move back into her home.

‘Further investigations will also be carried out to rule out any other potential access points. The council and Great Places are supporting this resident to make sure she can move back into her home as quickly as possible.’

In a joint statement, housing association Great Places and maintenance contractors Wates Living Space said: ‘We are sorry for the issues Tia has experienced with her home and we are working with her to carry out repairs that will allow her to return as soon as possible.

‘We have also agreed to install new flooring, provide new white goods, and provide replacement furniture so that Tia can return home.’

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Tia Henderson, was forced to sleep in a shipping container for three months after her Oldham flat became infested with rats.