There are over 20 million rats living in our capital city – awarding London the title for highest rat population in the UK. (Second place goes to Birmingham, with just 2.4 million rats.) Most of our rodent neighbours live in the sewers, only surfacing to look for food or water.

Vacant properties can be very tempting for rats and other rodents. There is little to disturb them setting up home and staying for the long term.

In our four-part series about threats to vacant properties, we’ve told you everything we know about preventing winter crime, mould & weather damage. We’re concluding our series with this guide to help you keep rodents away from your vacant property.

Why Rats Love Vacant Properties

In the summer, it’s warm enough for rodents to spend more time outside scavenging for food and water. But, as the temperature drops, they head for quiet buildings that will provide shelter for them to nest and breed. They’ll search for entry points such as damaged pipework, drains, or gaps in brickwork. Once inside, they'll chew through almost anything, from furniture to fittings and everything in between. They'll even gnaw through electrical cables, potentially landing you with a big bill for repair costs!

Vacant properties are a safe haven for rodents as they can go undisturbed (and unnoticed) for longer periods of time. Unlike their rural cousins, city rats prefer to breed in the winter - and they do so at an alarming rate. A female rat can give birth up to 50 times a year and each of her babies will start mating at 3 months old.

Meaning that vacant properties can easily find themselves overrun with rodents within a short period of time.

Prevention is Better than Cure

Once a rodent infestation has taken hold, it can be very difficult to come back from. This is partly due to their nightmarish fertility - and partly due to the fact that some London rats are becoming poison resistant! Pest control experts believe that weak at-home poison remedies are accidentally vaccinating rats, making it harder than ever to get an infestation under control. It is therefore crucial for vacant property owners to be alert and stop any potential rodents in their tracks. Here’s our advice…

Rodent Proof Your Property…

Rats will squeeze through almost any space so before leaving your property vacant, make sure to seal off any access points. Start by fitting bristle strips around all external doors to close any gaps. Also, check for holes or small openings in exterior walls around cables or pipes - fill any gaps with steel wool and caulk/concrete. Bear in mind that rodents will gnaw at small gaps until they can fit through, so leave no gap unfilled.

You should also consider cutting back tree branches that would give rats access to your roof (and make sure to repair any tile damage that they could squeeze through.)

Finally, keep toilet lids closed and cover drains with tightly fitted metal grates as rats have been known to access buildings via pipework.

Look for Signs and Act Quickly…

Even with the above precautions, it’s important to stay alert and check for signs of an infestation. Regularly visit your vacant property and make diligent inspections. Look for evidence of nesting such as shredded paper, cardboard or drywall and pay particular attention to low traffic areas. 

Any signs of gnawing or burrowing would indicate that rodents have been looking for ways in and around the property. You may also find droppings or even track marks in dusty areas - if you spot any of these signs, it’s time to call in the professionals. 

Protect your Vacant Property with Blue Door Property Guardians…

If you don’t have time to make regular inspections yourself (and you don’t want to spend unnecessary money on traditional property management services) consider using property guardians to keep your empty space safe.

Blue Door Property Guardians provide a zero-cost solution for vacant properties. By living on-site, our guardians look after your property with regular inspections to make sure no uninvited furry friends stop by. Property guardians protect vacant buildings from pests, weather damage and criminals - plus you’ll be making a positive contribution to your local community by providing short-term accommodation for key workers and professionals. At Blue Door Property Guardians, we help you prepare your property for guardians to move into and, when you no longer need our services, we have an efficient 30-day hand-back!

Learn more today by registering your property or get in touch for a chat to see how we can help.