Hoarding is when someone has an excessive amount of items and stores them in their home resulting in unmanageable clutter.

Hoarding can make it hard to clean which then becomes an overwhelming amount of work. It can cause a lot of problems for the tenant, the property and the community.

Fire risk

Usually, the material of the items that are being hoarded are highly flammable or stacked so fire spreads faster. It can cover electrical cables and fire sources and smoulder for a long time increasing smoke and toxic fumes.

The hoarded items make it difficult for the fire service to be able to find casualties.

Health and safety

With a large amount of hoard, there is a risk of trips and falls. The weight of it increases when wet and can cause floors to cave in.

Damp and mould issues can arise from the lack of ventilation which can affect your airways and cause bronchial problems.

There is also a risk of infestations of rats, mice, fleas, bed bugs and silver fish.

Contractors may not be able to complete essential works within the property due to the lack of working space or can even refuse to work in the property.

Tenancy breach

It is your responsibility to keep your home and its fixtures clean and in good condition, keeping the inside of the property in good repair and sound decorative state for the whole of the occupancy.

If this is not complied with, you are in breach of your agreement and can be issued with warning letters which can then escalate to legal intervention and even eviction.

Contact us

If you think you have too much clutter in your home and need help, please contact us by:

• email at bcphomes.eettriage@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
• phone on 0800 28 1870