Dozens of rats have swarmed through a block of flats in Hackney, forcing some families to flee their homes after years of failed attempts to resolve the infestation. The horrifying scenes at Crystal Court show vermin scurrying through bins, doorways and halls as residents describe their building as a "Victorian Britain hellhole slum".
Residents have been battling the infestation for approximately four years, repeatedly pleading with housing association Notting Hill Genesis to address the crisis. Some tenants paying over £900 monthly rent have been forced to abandon their homes entirely to escape the rodent invasion.
Living conditions horror
Samantha, who has lived in the block for over 10 years, described the terrifying nightly sounds. "You can hear them squealing, you can hear them running, you can hear them scratching," she told LBC. "When they run across the ceiling, it sounds like there are 10 of them - not just one solo rat."
She added: "They [the rats] have taken over the whole building." The impact on daily life has become unbearable for many residents who constantly encounter the vermin throughout their building.
The rats have caused serious infrastructure damage, with rodents biting through pipes and forcing at least one neighbour to move out for a year due to flooding. "If this was a restaurant and there was like one rat, it would be closed down'... and this is how we're expected to live," Samantha said.
Escalating crisis
Destin Domokundi, who has lived at Crystal Court with his mother since 2012, confirmed the long-standing nature of the problem. "It's been an issue for years, not just recently. This became an issue four years ago. It's gotten really intense recently. People have been scared to go into the bin room," he explained.
Another resident paying over £900 monthly rent revealed the severe impact on her wellbeing. "It has been affecting my mental health - I haven't had a full nights sleep in over a year. It's awful. Next door had a leak really bad because rats bit through the pipes. So they had to move out for a year," she said.
Reports suggest pest control attended the building in August 2024, but the problem has worsened since then. The Daily Mail reports that the bin room has been locked by pest control, preventing residents from accessing gas meters housed there, while some residents now "tap the door to spook rats" before entering.
Mental health trauma
The psychological toll on families has been devastating. Mum Pauline Aldred, 46, who has lived in Crystal Court for two years, described the impact: "It's like a horror movie. I cry myself to sleep sometimes at how bad it is."
The infestation represents a broader crisis in social housing maintenance, with residents feeling abandoned by their housing provider despite paying substantial monthly rents. Many describe feeling trapped in conditions they compare to Victorian-era slums.
Housing association response
Notting Hill Genesis acknowledged the ongoing crisis in a statement to LBC. "We are aware of ongoing pest issues at Crystal Court and apologise for the impact of this on our residents whilst we have been working to resolve matters," the housing association said.
"Household waste left in communal areas has now been cleared and we have carried out extensive pest control and prevention work, both within Crystal Court and the neighbouring commercial units. Further works to the bin store room are underway and we have requested that residents take additional care when disposing of waste to prevent these issues from reoccurring," they added.
Sources used: "Mirror", "LBC", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
