Riga Residents Struggle With Neighbour's Garbage-Filled Apartment
In an apartment block in Riga, an 80-year-old woman's flat has become a dump, causing odours and pests. She refuses all help, and the Health Inspectorate says the only solution is a court case.
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Residents of a multi-apartment building in Riga are dealing with unsanitary conditions caused by an 80-year-old woman whose flat has turned into a rubbish dump. Latvian Television (LTV) reported on the situation on 7 November 2026. Neighbours must live with the smell and cockroaches, while the authorities have limited ability to force the woman to change how she lives.
The senior refuses help
Municipal representatives managed to help the woman leave the apartment, but she then refused to cooperate with both medical staff and municipal workers. Inside her home it is impossible to reach even the toilet. She continues to collect items from nearby waste bins, believing that she is helping to clean up the planet.
Why authorities cannot step in
Neither the police nor the Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) can take the woman to a medical facility against her will, because she does not endanger her own life or the lives of others.
The Riga Orphan's Court, a child and guardianship protection body, has found that the woman has a daughter living abroad. So far it has not been possible to reach her.
A solution through the courts
The Health Inspectorate says the only option is for the other residents of the building to turn to court. If the unsanitary conditions endanger other people's health and quality of life, the owner of the flat can be evicted only by a court ruling.
