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One of the biggest problems for apartment block managers and landlords in recent years has been the issue of clearing waste from apartment blocks. The amount of waste they can generate often leads to fly-tipping – much of it from people who don’t actually live there.
At ASAP Clearances we provide block management clearing services in Potters Bar, Hampstead, Muswell Hill and other areas of north London. Here we explain the finer points of the law, why waste outside blocks of flats in particular is an issue, and why we should be the first choice for any landlords who want to have some excess waste cleared up.
The Law on Fly-Tipping
If fly-tipping occurs on private land, then the landlord is responsible for clearing it up and not the appropriate local council. If the landlord can identify the people responsible, then they can recover costs – however this is not as easy as it sounds unless they witness (or have evidence via CCTV) of who did it. This is all covered in the Environmental Protection Act of 1990, which makes it illegal for anyone to dispose of controlled waste – which includes household, industrial and commercial rubbish – on any land unless they have an environmental permit.
The Act also states that the landlord or landowner could be prosecuted if they fail to clear up the waste or if they just move it somewhere else, for example the nearby roadside or any land which they don’t own.
Why it’s a Particular Problem for Blocks of Flats
Fewer bin collections means that household food waste, which used to be collected weekly, is now collected fortnightly in some areas (with recycling collections often taking place in the alternate weeks). This means that excess waste can easily build up, especially in flat blocks where waste disposal areas may be shared amongst tenants.
The shared nature of flat blocks means that it can often be difficult to identify who is responsible for fly-tipping nearby when you have a large number of people living in a relatively small area.
There’s also the issue of verticality – some people may not fancy lugging (or may not be able to) something like a large piece of unwanted furniture down the stairs or into the lift (even assuming it will fit in there in the first place).
In many instances, fly-tipping has been carried out by people from outside the estate, or who don’t live in the flats, so even if there are security cameras or CCTV it’s difficult to identify the perpetrator if they aren’t residents.
There are other reasons why flat blocks create more waste – tenants may be on short-term leases and when they leave, they could leave behind some of their accumulated waste; this counts as commercial waste so landlords might not be able to take it down to the local waste site unless they have a carrier’s licence.
Block Management Clearing Services in Potters Bar from ASAP Clearances
At ASAP Clearances, we can remove furniture, white goods, and any other household or commercial waste from outside any blocks of flats. We also specialise in building waste clearance across North London – whether it’s been fly-tipped or left there legitimately, for example as part of ongoing repair works or a renovation project.
Whatever the reason for the waste, you can count on us for the speedy and efficient removal of any unwanted items which should keep the block looking good and hopefully act as a deterrent to further fly-tipping. We also have a waste carrier’s licence, so you don’t need to worry about the legal side of things.
If you would like to know more about any of our services, you can call us on 020 3475 0508; you can also follow this link and fill in the online form.