Residents slam housing association over bed bug epidemic

One of the largest housing associations in the UK has come under fire after residents allege they have had to endure pest-infested flats.

Residents claim for several months, Southern Housing struggled to deal with bed-bug infestations, with many blaming it for acting too late to tackle the problem.

However, the housing association told Property118 they spent more than £20,000 carrying out individual bed bug treatments at no cost to the tenants.

Cannot stay in the flat anymore

Other residents living in four tower blocks known as the Four Courts in Hastings have also reported problems with bed-bug infestations spanning several months.

The Metro reported last year that residents felt their complaints were being ignored, with one resident claiming: “The bed bug epidemic has got to the point where I cannot stay in that flat anymore.”

According to the Big Issue, the residents have come together to protest about the bed-bug infestations.

Simon Lee, secretary of the Hastings Area Southern Housing Tenants Association, told the Big Issue, Southern Housing has not done enough.

He told The Big Issue: “It’s a problem for them that, logistically, is a difficult one to resolve, but they’ve done nothing for years. That’s why we are here now.

“They’ve just treated it case by case, and it was probably obvious years ago that something more robust was needed.”

Nobody should have to sit there with a pot picking bed bugs off their mattress

According to The Big Issue, one of the residents living in the Four Courts at Kennedy Court, Nicky Brown, has a compromised immune system, meaning that even minor scratches or bites from bed bugs could pose a serious threat to her health.

Despite a warning letter from her GP urging an urgent move due to her condition, and assurances from Southern Housing management that she would be relocated within six months, Mrs Brown is still living in the same flat nine months later.

In a bid to prove just how serious the issue is, she’s started collecting the bugs in separate, dated containers.

She told the Big Issue: “If I knew where (Southern Housing CEO) Paul Hackett’s office was, I would take my pots and empty them on his desk and tell him to live with them.

“It is disgusting. Nobody should have to sit there with a pot picking bed bugs off their mattress, sheets or pillow cases.”

None of the treatment costs are being passed on to residents

A spokesperson for Southern Housing told Property118: “To break the cycle of bed bugs, we’re implementing a six-week treatment plan across the Four Courts, based on expert advice.

“Following resident consultation, the majority of residents in three blocks supported treating all flats. Treatment began this month in Kennedy Court and will continue in two other blocks over the next three months.

“Before this long-term treatment began, we’ve continued to carry out individual bed bug treatments. We’ve treated 46 different flats at a cost of over £20,000 between November 2024 and June 2025. None of the treatment costs, both individual and long-term, are being passed on to our residents.

“We remain here to support all residents in tackling this issue and continue to urge any Four Courts residents with a bed bug problem to contact us to arrange treatment at no cost to them.”