Community, estates and development

What is a block of flats? 

A block of flats refers to a multi-story residential building containing multiple individual flats, each with it own entrance from internal corridors or staircases. These buildings often include shared areas like hallways, and sometimes amenities like parking areas or gardens. These vary in height, ranging from a few to many floors.

What is a communal area?

Communal areas are spaces shared with tenants outside of your home, such as:

• Hallways
• Stairwells
• Lifts
• Gardens and courtyards including places to dry your clothes (drying areas) 
• Communal balconies

In the case of gardens and drying areas, our focus is on keeping these areas tidy.

How we carry out safety checks

Safety checks help us maintain property standards and address maintenance, cleaning, and safety issues.

During our safety checks, we will inspect:

• Building conditions (doors, walls, floors, windows)
• Fire safety compliance
• Gardening and cleaning requirements
• Improper waste disposal and fly-tipping
• Signs of anti-social behaviour
• Communal areas are kept clear

Typical items found in communal areas include:

• bicycles, including e-bikes and e-scooters
• mobility scooters and wheelchairs
• pushchairs and prams
• litter 

Why are safety checks important? 

These are important to ensure the council are:

• Risk aware and effectively managing risks
• Legally and regulatory compliant 
• Protecting and preventing accidents and injuries to you and your family
• Maintaining our properties to give you peace of mind
• Encouraging a building safety culture 

Communal areas must be kept clear to:

• Help tenants escape from the building in an emergency
• Assist the fire services to carry out their duties
• Avoid giving off toxic smoke and gas when burning
• Prevent an explosion due to high temperatures (e.g. glass)
• Stop the spread of fire

If items are not removed:

• We may remove them without further notice
• You will receive a letter informing you of the removal
• A removal charge will be added to your tenancy account

These rules help maintain safety and cleanliness for you and other tenants.

Ensuring a clear and consistent approach will:

• Reduce risks
• Increase fire safety
• Improve the overall appearance of the communal areas in your building

This approach is covered by your tenancy or lease agreement:

“Communal areas are locations that all residents have access to and may include stairways, corridors, balconies, lifts, shared gardens, and other housing land. You must keep communal areas clear of your personal belongings and litter’.

Our approach

If you live in a council block of flats or similar shared building, we now operate a zero-tolerance approach to items in communal areas.

It is vital we keep communal areas clear as it ensures you and other tenants can escape safely in the event of an emergency. It also allows emergency services to safely and effectively carry out their jobs.

We routinely carry out fire risk assessments and building checks to identify any risks that items in communal areas may pose, such as:

• Flammable items
• Trip hazards
• Obstructions to escape routes
• Obstructions to safe working areas for emergency services

How you can help us

To support us in keeping your home safe, you can:

• Ensure that communal areas remain clear and free of any personal items, including artwork on the walls.
• Store personal belongings in your flat or in a locked storage cupboard when they are not in use.
• Keep storage areas and cupboards locked at all times, and refrain from using them to store personal items.
• If you see any damage, report a repair
• Report fly-tipping 
• Tell us about any grounds maintenance issues
• Request large items (bulky waste) collections

For more information about fire safety in your home visit our webpage.

E-Scooters and e-Bikes

Charging your e-bike or e-scooter 

The majority of fires related to e-bikes and e-scooter have happened in homes. These fires are often caused when charging batteries.

• Please pay special attention to bike conversion kits. Do not attempt to modify or tamper with the battery. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  
• Reduce the risk of overheating.
• Batteries can get warm during their use. Allow them to cool down before attempting to re-charge.
• Batteries should always be charged on hard flat surfaces where heat can dissipate.
• Batteries can also pose a risk if they have been damaged, so try to ensure they are not getting knocked around while in use or while being carried.
• Batteries should also never be exposed to extremes of temperature.

Follow the instructions

• Always follow manufacturers’ instructions when charging 
• Never leave it charging unattended or charge it while you are asleep.
• You should always make sure you unplug your charger once it’s finished charging.
• Always use the correct charger for your batteries and buy any replacements from a reputable seller.

Where to charge your batteries

• Never block your escape route with e-bikes or e-scooters
• Store and charge them somewhere away from a main through route or exit
• Make sure you and your family have an escape plan in place in the event of a fire. Always call 999, never try to fight the fire yourself

​​​​​Questions about flat safety