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‘The Rat House’ on Belaire Court in Punta Gorda. (Credit: WINK News) Bidding is now open for the infamous “Rat House” on Belaire Court in Punta Gorda, recently appraised for $440,000. The home is being sold as is. While it may look OK from the curb, looks can be deceiving. It has been empty for nearly a decade and the city says the house’s rat problem has been dealt with, but neighbors don’t seem to believe that. Neighbors along Belaire Court started calling the home ‘The Rat House’ after the rodents took over the vacant home. The Punta Gorda City Council met and decided to sell the property after the appraisal came back higher than expected. Council members and the mayor felt that knocking down the house was not worth the cost. “I’m not inclined to spend any more money on the house, we’ve spent a lot of money on this house, trying to get it to the point where we are right now,” said Punta Gorda Mayor Lynn Matthews. The city council doesn’t expect the house to stay on the market for long. Matthews and Vice Mayor Debbie Carey say people interested in buying the house are already contacting them. Interested buyers have until 3 p.m. on Sept. 1 to submit their bids to the city. If you want to submit a bid for the Rat House, visit this link.