Who Pays the Graffiti Removal Cost?

Posted on September 25, 2017 in Cleaning

Graffiti Removal Cost

There is an argument which constantly revolves around graffiti. It’s the argument of art vs vandalism, something which divides opinion and gets many people furious that more isn’t done. While there is value in some graffiti as art, the majority of what is scrawled or sprayed onto walls isn’t the next Banksy piece.

The detracting aspects of graffiti can be extremely frustrating if you live in a neighbourhood where this is rife, or if your own property is being vandalised. Without the permission of the person owning the property to carry out such acts, the act of graffiti is illegal.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GRAFFITI REMOVAL?

So who is responsible for removing graffiti which crops up? There are different rules for different councils, but the general rule of thumb is that if the graffiti occurs on public or council property it is their responsibility, while if it appears on your property or business premises, it is your responsibility to get it cleaned.

HOW TO REPORT GRAFFITI

If you find graffiti you can report it, with different councils giving different ways to report it. The City of London even provides an app to report vandalism and fly tipping, while others will have email addresses and phone numbers where you can report and even send photographs of the graffiti.

Most councils aim to remove graffiti from public land or property within five working days, but will act quicker to remove obscene or racist graffiti with 24 hours.

THE PUNISHMENT FOR GRAFFITI

If you are caught creating graffiti the punishment can be severe. Depending on how much damage is caused you can face a hefty fine and possible imprisonment up to 10 years. For minor offences a fixed penalty notice can be issued, with the fine discounted for early payment in most cases.

HOW MUCH DOES GRAFFITI COST TO REMOVE?

The cost of removing graffiti across the country is hard to calculate, but to give you an impression of how astronomical the costs are, British Transport Police state that London Underground alone spends £10 million minimum a year on tackling graffiti, not counting the millions it would cost to replace windows etched with graffiti.

According to the BTP, graffiti offences reported to them in 2012/13 has seen a drop of 7%, a promising statistic if the trend can continue. There are always reports of rises and falls in vandalism and graffiti, but a lot depends on the individual area and the council’s stance on tackling such issues.

HOW TO GET RID OF GRAFFITI

Removing graffiti from your property or your business premises when it doesn’t fall under the remit of your council is never easy. For the best results you should put your trust in a professional graffiti removal company. Using the latest graffiti removal products and equipment, your surfaces can be cleaned and brought back to life.

At Protech Property Solutions we provide dedicated graffiti removal services as well as anti-graffiti coatings to help you prevent such damage. Contact our professional team today to learn more about how to tackle graffiti on your property.