Fleas Left Behind in a Wembley Let
Eggs laid on a pet roll off wherever it sleeps and sits. When the animal moves out with its owners, what stays behind is in the flat itself: larvae deep in the carpet pile, and pupae in silk cocoons at the edges of rooms and under built-in furniture. A clean between tenancies may not reach them, and a furnished let with the landlord's sofa and rugs gives them even more cover. Can you have fleas without having pets? explains how a household with no animals ends up bitten.
The first weeks of a tenancy
Bites round the ankles soon after moving in, often worse in one bedroom, are the typical pattern. Before booking, note the date you moved in, which rooms the bites happen in and whether you have seen small dark insects jumping onto socks. Then tell your landlord or letting agent in writing, because who arranges and pays for treatment depends on your tenancy agreement and the circumstances. How to know if you have fleas at home helps confirm what you are dealing with.
Carpets and hard floors in newer flats
Where a flat has hard flooring in the living space and carpet in the bedrooms, fleas usually concentrate where the carpet and rugs are. Hard floors are not a complete answer, though: larvae can live in the gaps along skirting boards and under a rug laid over laminate. Where fleas hide around the home lists the less obvious spots, and fleas in beds and sofas covers the furniture.
Landlords and Agents Between Tenancies
When a tenant with a pet leaves, booking flea treatment before the next tenant arrives lowers the chance of bites in their first week. Counting rooms is straightforward: bedrooms and living rooms with carpet, rugs or upholstered furniture, never the hall. Do landlords need flea treatment between tenancies? covers when it makes sense, and Kenton looks at landlords between lets across another part of Brent.
Pets in Wembley Flats
A cat that never goes outside can still get fleas, brought in on another animal or on clothing, and a dog walked in King Edward VII Park or on Barn Hill can collect them where other animals have rested. In a flat the pet's favourite places are close together, so the sofa, the bed and a rug by the balcony door may all be involved. Speak to your vet about treating every pet in the home at the same time as the rooms.
Getting the Flat Ready
- Ask your vet about treating every cat and dog that lives in the flat
- Vacuum carpets, rugs, sofa cushions and under beds, working into the edges, then take the contents straight out to the bins
- Wash pet bedding, throws and cushion covers on a hot cycle if the labels allow
- Clear shoes, bags and boxes from bedroom floors and the bottoms of wardrobes
- Count the rooms with bites or pet use, leaving out the hall and any landing
Preparing a property for flea treatment has the full checklist.
After the visit
Some fleas can carry on hatching from cocoons for a while, so vacuum every day; the vibration helps bring them out. How long that lasts depends on the flat and how settled the fleas were. If bites are not easing, or live fleas keep appearing, contact us again. Why fleas can still bite after treatment explains why.
Keeping Fleas Away Once You Have Settled In
Most of this comes down to the pets. The borough-wide details sit on Flea Control Brent.
- Keep your pets' flea protection up to date, as your vet advises
- Wash pet bedding every week or two and vacuum where pets sleep
- If a neighbour's cat wanders in through a ground-floor patio door, keep that door shut when you are out
- When you move out, let your agent know if a pet has lived in the flat, so the next tenant is not caught out
