A Georgia mother says a rental home meant to provide stability for her family became a source of fear.
In Albany, Dee, who asked to be identified only by her first name to help protect her children's identities, told WALB that rodents, bats, roaches, and worsening damage inside a duplex have left her children too frightened to stay there.
Here's what to know
After moving into a duplex on Lucille Street, Dee said problems began to surface once her family was settled in.
To document the conditions, Dee shared cellphone footage that appeared to show a rodent inside the home and bats flying around her vehicle near the carport. She also provided photos that seemed to show droppings around window frames and sections of the ceiling in poor condition.
"They're running around in my house," Dee said.
The station said the animal in the video appeared to be a mouse rather than a rat, and WALB also said it had not seen video confirming bats were inside the house. Dee said her children still heard scratching overhead and were afraid.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Another point of conflict is who should address the issue. Messages Dee shared appeared to show the landlord acknowledging a rodent problem and saying poison had been placed, while also citing a lease provision that made pest control the tenant's responsibility.
WALB noted that Georgia law still requires landlords to provide housing considered habitable and safe for tenants.
More background
Dee, who said she works as a self-employed cleaner, told WALB that bats swarming her vehicle caused her to lose work. She said she has also lost clients while trying to secure a temporary place for herself and her children.
Landlord Wallace Miller told WALB he manages 74 other rental properties in the area and denied being responsible for the pest problems. He also said he had contacted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division about the bats and was waiting for an inspection.
"The bats, they're an endangered species," Miller said. "I've got 74 other tenants. And on the bats, I can't touch them because they breed from now to October... I'll do a year to five years in prison if I touch them endangered species bats."
What can be done?
As a possible solution, Miller told WALB he offered Dee a move to another unit, a refund of her deposit, and $1,000 if she moved out. Dee said that would not be enough, said she is considering legal action, and started a GoFundMe to help pay for temporary housing.
For tenants dealing with restrictive property rules more broadly, it may also help to learn how to work with landlords or associations to push for change. Readers looking for a starting point can check out the TCD Guide's page on how to change HOA bylaws, which includes ideas that may be useful when organizing around household rules.
Where can I learn more?
Dee's story echoes other housing disputes where pests and poor property upkeep made daily life feel unsafe. In other cases, renters have said landlords failed to deal with mosquito swarms, residents described hearing rats in the walls, and people looked for simple ways to keep smaller infestations from getting worse.
• At another rental property, tenants were forced to avoid their yard after a pool bred mosquitoes.
• In Toronto's Leaside neighborhood, residents said you could hear them in the walls as rats spread between properties.
• For smaller infestations, one handyman said keeping pests away this spring started with baking soda and sugar.
Each of these stories shows how fast pest problems and deferred maintenance can disrupt safety, work, and everyday routines. They're also a reminder of how high the stakes can get when tenants say a home is no longer livable.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
