Property Waste Clearance. Landlords Advice.

Posted on January 5, 2017 in Waste Solutions

Being a landlord can sometimes be rubbish (please, excuse the pun). When it comes to rubbish and waste clearance, it can get serious. We’ve seen several properties where tenants vacate and they leave an almighty pile of rubbish to clear up.

Property Waste Clearance

When a tenant vacates a property and they leave behind all their waste that’s been accumulating during occupation, this becomes the landlord’s responsibility to clear away properly. Unfortunately as it was tenanted, the property waste clearance is deemed as commercial waste. So hauling a pile of rubbish in your van from a buy-to-let property to the tip, might mean you need a waste carrier’s license.

Disposing of Waste

There are many rules and regulations about what you can and can’t do with rubbish. Disposing of waste can be time consuming and if not done correctly, become very costly. Not to mention opportunity cost in the time it will take to get your property habitable again.

It’s vital that any contractor you hire for property waste clearance is fully compliant with the law and they have a valid Waste Carriers License. If you hire a ‘man and van’ who dispose of your property waste incorrectly or illegally, the liability may fall on your shoulders as a landlord and the property owner.

With Protech, our invoice can act as a ‘waste transfer note’ which you are required by law to keep for two years to provide proof of the property waste clearance.

If tenants have left without clearing accumulated waste as well as bulky items such as sofas, TVs, fridges, there are hefty penalties and consequences for leaving waste in yards, gardens or on the street.

Waste Clearance Advice for Landlords

It’s important when tenants move in, to inform them of rubbish facilities that are available, bin collection days provided by the council and encourage them to recycle in the first place. If tenants exceed the amount of rubbish collected by the council, make it clear that it is their responsibility to take it to the city tip or hire the service of a professional waste clearance company at their own cost.

It’s by no means a silver bullet, however in your tenancy agreements include a clause that stipulates “the tenant agrees to keep the property in a clean and tidy manner and to keep the property free of rubbish”.* Highlight this clause to your tenant and if they leave the premises without the dozen, smelly black bin bags piled up in the corner you will charge them for the commercial cost of removal.

Have regular inspections of your property (most reputable agents will do this on a six-monthly basis). If there is a noticeable build of rubbish, it’s time to issue a notice to the tenants advising them to get it sorted properly or they will be charged. Reference the clause, give them clear instructions and a definitive time frame and outline the ramifications as firmly but politely as possible.

And remember that invoice we mentioned? If you do end up incurring costs for property waste clearance on a buy-to-let, that is a tax-deductible expense. You won’t get a receipt unless you’re using a reputable waste removal company so ensure you get an invoice for your self-assessment tax returns.

If you have one or several properties requiring waste clearance, please contact us today to discuss your requirements. We can remove waste from anywhere on the property and our two-man teams will do all the heavy lifting for you so you can get back to finding new tenants for your investment.

*Please do discuss this with your solicitor or property manager to incorporate the correct, enforceable clause into your tenancy agreements and seek the appropriate advice.

For more information on our waste services please visit: JUNK REMOVAL