Rat problem in my apartment
Hello everyone,
I recently moved into an apartment in Siem Reap and had a pretty stressful experience with a very large rat entering the apartment through the ceiling/technical spaces. It was much bigger than the rats/mice I’m used to seeing, seemed very comfortable in the apartment, came onto my bed during the night and even scratched me while running past me.
The landlord and concierge came and placed glue traps, but I honestly feel the situation is being handled a bit superficially. They are not really treating the issue at the source (for example sealing openings properly or treating the ceiling/fake ceiling spaces). Apparently some people in the building have already been bitten before as well. They told me it's "normal" and that they come and go through the seasons.
Last night the rat got trapped in the glue trap and I thought it was dead because it wasn’t moving anymore and was completely covered in glue. But by the time I went to get the landlord in the morning, it had escaped from the trap.
I’m temporarily staying in another apartment in the building while deciding what to do next. I really like the location/building otherwise, so I’m trying to understand what is “normal tropical building issues” versus a real red flag.
For people living in Cambodia / Southeast Asia:
- Is this kind of situation relatively common during rainy season?
- Are noises in ceilings/fake ceilings common in buildings here?
- What are the main signs that an apartment may have a rodent problem?
- What should I check before renting a place?
- Have some of you managed to solve this kind of issue by sealing openings/traps?
- If the issue continues, would it generally be considered a valid reason to leave and ask for the deposit back?
Thanks a lot 🙏