'Horrified' Surrey newlyweds discover 'mouse droppings' and 'urine smell' at new home

Newlyweds who moved from the Cotswolds into their first home in Surrey say they've been left horrified after discovering their flat is 'littered with mouse droppings' and has a 'strong urine smell' coming from the bathroom.

Safirah Umarji and her husband, Nathan John, say they were lost for words when they allege to have discovered the problems at their rented flat in Godalming, and say it's left them stressed to the point it has impacted their relationship.When Nathan and Safirah initially looked around the flat they admitted to feeling 'rushed' as the previous tenants were there.

But they claimed the “unhygienic and dirty” issues they found after they moved in were not glaringly obvious during that first visit.

They say they expected a deep clean of the flat to have been carried out before they moved in, which the letting agents have reassured them was done.

The newlyweds claim to have found rodent droppings behind the kickboards under the oven, mould in the dishwasher and thick dust under the beds and on the surfaces, including the blinds and window sills.

They immediately went through the inventory filled out by an independent inventory company to find that most of these boxes on the list were either in "good condition" or found to be satisfactory.

They immediately called the letting agency for help.The couple claim they then realised their new home was subject to 'damp' which was not highlighted by the inventory conducted before they moved in, and draughty windows.

The two were told to take the dishwasher components out and wash it by hand and were reassured by their letting agent in multiple emails, seen by SurreyLive, that the property had been thoroughly cleaned before they moved in.

Safirah suffers from asthma and says she has noticed a marked decline in her respiratory health since, and said she has to increasingly rely on her oxygen pump.

To have the damp and draught problems addressed, major work on the flat would be required including installing scaffolding on the outside to replace the windows, the couple said. As Safirah works from home, she said the work would disrupt her day-to-day working life.In an email, the agency admitted damp was an issue in the property, but that it had been addressed prior to the couple moving in.

The estate agent also offered the couple new mattresses, and to decorate the home, as well as to install new carpets to replace the ones that had stains. But the agency insisted the carpets were "clean" it was just the stains "will not" come out.The agency also iterated that despite there being mouse droppings behind the kickboard below the oven, pests had been eradicated by pest control and should not be an issue moving forward.

The droppings were missed as cleaners did not remove the kitchen kickboards as part of the deep clean.

Elsewhere in the kitchen, the tenants were advised to wash the components.

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