Edinburgh University pest control costs soar in student accommodations

The University of Edinburgh’s Accommodation, Catering and Events service (ACE) spends an eye-watering sum of money each year on pest control in student accommodation.

A Freedom of Information Request (FOI) conducted by The Edinburgh Tab reveals the  annual cost has been growing exponentially year on year.

The spend in 2022 was £37,507, compared to a projected spend of £60,400 in 2025.

The university told The Edinburgh Tab there can be many pest control related financial transactions for a singular issue, such as the initial call-out, external contractor repair work and ongoing prevention work.

ACE provides residential accommodation for over 10,000 students at over 40 different locations in the city. It takes responsibility for assessments and follow-up visits to assess if pest control has been successful.

The university also commented that ACE proactively undertakes preventative work in high risk areas for pest prevention.

University accommodation is not the only victim of rodent infestations. In all areas of the city, Edinburgh residents are becoming increasingly concerned by the growing population of rats and mice.

According to pest control officers, this problem is thought to have worsened since the lockdowns during Covid-19 due to the prolonged periods of empty streets.

These officers have also suggested that a lack of rubbish disposal has been attracting vermin throughout the city centre.

The number of “service requests”  involving rats to the council has increased year on year. These requests typically pertain to infestations which need to be controlled.

Residents have claimed that rats have been chewing through water mains, walls and electric sockets, which has left some, particularly the elderly, afraid to leave their homes.

Due to the growing number of reports about infestations across the city, Edinburgh Council have been looking into opening a specific task force to tackle the problem.

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An SNP councillor made this call for action at a council meeting in September 2025, saying: “There is a recurring theme of infestations that are happening on council-owned land that is not being maintained.”

This echoes a complaint from a woman in Blackburn in December 2025, who said that the problem stemmed from being next to council-owned properties that weren’t being appropriately protected from the problem.

There was a verbally agreed motion by the council to explore setting up the task force, but there have been no further developments since September 2025.

Featured image via Wiki Commons.