Tenant at odds with landlord after rats infest home

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A family renting a home in northwest Harris County said it is so infested with rats that they cannot live there safely.

"It's a nice house. It's just, you know, rats, everywhere," said Chantel Edmonson.

Edmonson said she and her family moved into the home on Fernstone Lane in May.

They didn't find out about the rats until June after they talked to a former tenant who said they also had problems with rats.

Edmonson said she asked the landlord to take care of the problem, but claims he won't.

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"Feces all over the counter. Every day they're crawling up here, my kids are terrified because they can hear them so much in the back part of the house," said Edmonson.

In videos sent to ABC13, the rodents could be seen scurrying around.

A few days ago, a rat was caught stuck between the cabinets and dishwasher -- eventually it had to be pried out by an exterminator.

"You could see hands and feet. He was huge," she said.

The family believes there are dozens, if not hundreds of rats, in the attic and walls.

Chamari Edmonson, 11, said the rats makes her nervous to be in the house.

"I'm like...this doesn't feel like a home," she said.

The landlord, Henri Olivier, did not respond to our repeated requests for an interview. He did previously tell Eyewitness News that rental agreement makes it clear that the tenant is responsible for extermination of any pests.

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