Cleaner, greener landlords
Any landlord renting out a property will want it looked after, and that includes ensuring all tenants know how to properly dispose of their waste whilst occupying the property.
Landlords should be aware that once the property becomes vacant, any waste or unwanted items left from the previous occupancy is no longer considered as household waste and becomes commercial waste, which is waste generated as a result of a business, and it is the duty of the landlord to ensure its safe and correct removal.
Your responsibility as a landlord
As a landlord, it is your responsibility:
- to ensure your tenants are disposing of their waste correctly and safely. The waste and recycling services in the borough are easy to use, and landlords should ensure that all tenants are responsibly disposing of their waste, which includes recycling.
- to use a private waste collection contractor should your tenants exceed the capacity provided by the council which is a standard size 140ltr household waste bin or a larger wheelie bin and additional recycling boxes for larger families. Houses of Multiple occupancy will require a visit from the Waste and Recycling Team to determine the right capacity according to the number of occupants.
- to ensure that when using the services of a waste carrier, the contractor has a Waste Carriers Licence and that a Duty of Care waste transfer note is provided showing the description and disposal route of the waste.
- to ensure any waste or unwanted bulky items (i.e. mattresses, furniture etc.) left at the property are removed appropriately and legally from the premises. Leaving waste in the garden or yard could result in a fine and imprisonment.
Additionally, if your waste is discovered to have been disposed of illegally, even by your carrier, you could face prosecution.
Our responsibility as a local authority for houses and houses divided into flats:
It is the responsibility of the council to provide each occupied property with:
- 1 x 140ltr black wheeled refuse bin or a 240ltr bin for larger families
- recycling boxes for dry recycling and a food waste bin
We offer a paid-for garden waste service for residents.
For flats in blocks
It is your responsibility to ensure that your tenants know where the communal waste and recycling bins are located and that they are using them responsibly. Bulky waste cannot be placed into or beside communal bins. The incorrect disposal of bulky waste can prevent the collection of household waste, leading to overflowing bins.
Disposing of waste left by tenants
At this point the landlord is acting as a trader and is therefore responsible for the removal of this waste.
Space Waye trade waste service provide facilities to dispose of this waste responsibly.
Alternatively, items can be collected by our bulky waste collection service.
Could your tenants recycle more?
There are lots of benefits to recycling...by encouraging your tenants to reduce, reuse and recycle, you could save on disposal costs and help the environment.
There are several recycling facilities available to tenants:
- Red, blue and green recycling box collection service for houses.
- Space Waye household waste recycling centre.
- Recycle bring bank sites.
- Garden waste collection service.
Tenants may use the bulky waste collection service to dispose of large items.
Report a problem
Letting agencies and landlords can help us by reporting their tenants who dispose of waste illegally. Please report dumped rubbish, giving as much detail as possible.
