Some of our council properties (mainly flats and shared accommodation) have shared communal areas such as:

• parking areas
• gardens
• paths
• entrance halls
• staircases
• kitchens and bathrooms

Please do not leave, store or dispose of any items in the communal areas. 

Any items found in the communal areas, including buggies and prams, will be removed and stored without warning. We’ll charge £25 per item to reclaim removed possessions. Low value items such as doormats will be thrown away. 

We make sure that these areas and facilities are in good repair and working order.

Fire safety doors

Our flat blocks are fitted with fire safety doors, which are engineered safety devices and should never be tampered with. If you have any concerns about the reliability of your fire safety door, please contact housing repairs on 0800 0281 870.

For your safety and security, it is important to ensure that external doors and internal fire doors are kept closed. They should never be wedged open.

Cleaning in communal areas

Communal areas are cleaned regularly by one of our contractors however residents should keep these areas clean and clean up after yourself if you spill something.

Communal gardens

Our grounds maintenance team visit regularly to carry out routine maintenance. This includes grass cutting and pruning of shrubs. If you feel further work needs to be carried out in the grounds, please speak to an operative whilst they are maintaining the garden or call the repairs desk.

So that the operatives can carry out their tasks, make sure that nothing is left on the grass in communal grounds. Call the tenancy advice team in the first instance if you wish to maintain an area yourselves.

For health and safety purposes it’s important that nothing is left unattended in the grounds such as paddling pools, trampolines and other garden toys. These will be removed if found by one of our officers.

Bin stores

The storage areas provided for bins should be kept clear and accessible for all residents. Please use your bins as per the instructions from the waste and recycling department.

If they have not been emptied as expected, you can report a missed bin collection online.

Report an issue in a communal area

If you notice any damage, vandalism or something else that needs repairing, please call us on 0800 028 1870 or email repairhelpdesk@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.