A visitor to Manchester says he has been left 'helpless' and 'homeless' after his luxury city centre studio became infested with bedbugs. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Manchester Evening News of a nightmare experience at a flat in the Swan Street House complex in the Northern Quarter.
A medical professional and originally from Birmingham, he travelled to work and study in the city. After a fortnight in the region, he decided to book himself a short stay at the deluxe high-rise on Mason Street. He told the MEN his 12-day stay cost £1,634 when he booked it online. But after just one evening, he claims to have woken up with bug bites all over his body.
Multiple nights of bites
He said: "After the first day, I got a few rashes on my body so I went to the housekeeping and they came and changed my bedding. The second night it was more obvious, I thought there was something that doesn't look right. I called the housekeeping again and they did the same thing. But I wasn't convinced, I thought there was something more than that. So, I removed the mattress and it was full of bedbugs."
The guest added: "I called the property and told them what I found, but that is expected, bedbugs can be in any property. However, what wasn't normal is that they moved me to another studio, and I had more bugs the following night. I thought I was being paranoid. I waited another night and there was even more and more. I thought I was going crazy. I reached out to the property and I said it's unacceptable."
Refund and alternative accommodation offered
The property is understood to have offered the individual a refund since the incident. Short term rental company, Veeve, have told the MEN they are working with the building's management to carry out 'inspections and precautionary treatments.' Veeve works with UnderTheDoormat, who manage the flats. They added that the complainant has been offered 'a full refund, alternative hotel accommodation and a full reimbursement of associated costs.'
The man claims the infestation was so bad that he had to sleep in the building's reception area, before he was asked to move by security. He told the MEN the incident has had an adverse impact on his mental and physical health as well as leading him to miss days at work and possibly an exam.
Guest describes feeling 'homeless'
"I felt like I was homeless, helpless," he said. "I asked for a friend help and they let me stay their place even though I might carry a risk of bedbugs."
A Veeve spokesperson commented: "We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and acted immediately when the guest first raised concerns on October 3, relocating him to alternative accommodation within the building. We have since offered a full refund, alternative hotel accommodation and a full reimbursement of associated costs. We are also working closely with building management to ensure the necessary inspections and precautionary treatments are carried out as quickly as possible."
