Keeping communal areas safe – who does what?
We take your safety very seriously. Communal areas are shared spaces, and keeping them safe, clean and clear helps everyone who lives in and visits our buildings. To do this, we all have a part to play.
We ask tenants to:
- Keep communal areas completely clear of personal belongings
- Dispose of rubbish correctly and use bin stores as intended
- Report repairs, damage or safety concerns as soon as possible
- Be considerate of neighbours and shared spaces
Communal areas are not an extension of individual homes. Even small items can create serious safety risks. You can find repair timescales for communal areas in the repairs section here.
Depending on the block or home you live in, you may see the following services in your communal area:
- Regular cleaning visits
- Grounds maintenance or gardening
- Fire safety checks and inspections
- Emergency light testing
- Lift servicing and safety inspections (where applicable)
- Pest control in shared areas, if needed
Where these services apply, they are managed by ForHousing and funded through service charges. You can find out more about service charges here.
To help to keep you and your neighbours safe we have a Communal Areas Policy.
The Policy makes sure all communal areas are kept clean and clear at all times from personal items as they can:
- Contribute to the spread of fire
- Create accidental fires by their explosive nature
- Prevent or reduce your ability to escape in the event of fire
- Produce smoke
- Hinder or prevent Emergency Services access
- Injure people by causing trips and falls
This Policy helps keep you and others safe from harm.
Any items found in a communal area will be removed immediately by ForHousing colleagues, to keep everyone living in blocks and extra care schemes safe from hazards. We will keep your item safe for one calendar month, but there may be a charge for returning your belonging to you as there will be costs for storing your items.
Please encourage your friends and neighbours to clear away any items in communal areas, as storage for any unclaimed items may be recharged to the whole block as a service charge. If we do remove an item from a communal area in a block or extra care scheme, we will leave a card to let you know what you need to do. We know no one wants to have their belongings removed.
The Policy makes sure all communal areas such as corridors, stairwells, communal lounges and kitchens, stay clear from:
- Rubbish and other items such as furniture awaiting disposal
- Furnishings such as mats, pictures on walls, and flowerpots
- Bicycles, motorised cycles, prams, scooters, wheelchairs and mobility scooters
- Hardware such as tools, paint, garden equipment etc.
- Personal items such as storage boxes / containers, toys, barbecues etc.
We understand that some residents may need extra support. If you are struggling to store items safely in your home, or if health or mobility needs affect how you use communal areas, please contact us. We will work with you to find a safe and reasonable solution wherever possible.
Reporting problems in communal areas
If you have any questions or notice damage, cleaning issues or anything that could be a safety concern in a communal area, please let us know as soon as possible. Please call our Customer Connect Hub on 0300 123 5522, or you can contact us using Live Chat that can be find in the right-hand corner of the page.
