Communal cleaning and waste
Communal cleaning and waste
In Hitchin, Letchworth, Baldock, Royston and surrounding areas, our in-house cleaning teams look after the shared spaces in your block. In other areas, we work with trusted contractors to provide the same service.
Our cleaning teams visit every 2-3 weeks and carry out the following:
- Wet mop or vacuum floors
- Wipe down all surfaces that are safely accessible, including balconies and window ledges
- Remove marks from glass and doors
- Collect and dispose of flyers, old newspapers, and other loose items.
What we don’t do
Some cleaning works aren’t included in your service charge.
- Carpet cleaning or washing communal curtains
- Cleaning ovens or kitchens in communal kitchens
- Cleaning washing machines or tumble dryers in laundry rooms.
If your service charge includes window cleaning:
In blocks, our contractors clean all accessible external communal windows twice a year – in early summer and late autumn.
In sheltered schemes, they clean all accessible external windows four times a year.
We don’t clean:
- The inside of residents’ windows
- The outside of residents’ private external windows in blocks.
Most of our window cleaning is done using a treated water pole-fed system.
We work to keep communal areas safe, clean and clear for everyone.
Our Estates team removes large items left in communal spaces. Hazardous or contaminated items are handled by a licensed specialist contractor. Please do not store personal belongings in communal areas, as they may be removed for safety reasons.
If you notice abandoned items or rubbish, please let us know. Photos can be very helpful- you can an email them to [email protected] If you know who is responsible, please tell us. All information is kept strictly confidential. Where possible, we recharge the cost of removal to the person responsible.
If we’re unable to identify who left an item or rubbish, the cost may be shared between nearby homes or blocks.
Your local council may also provide a bulky waste collection service – check your council’s website for details here.
Graffiti
Graffiti on public land should be reported to your local council. If it appears on one of our blocks or in a communal area, please contact us and we’ll arrange a removal. Offensive graffiti is removed as a priority. Non-offensive graffiti is usually removed within four weeks.
Your domestic waste and recycling bins are collected and managed by your local council. This is not part of your service charge or a service provided by Settle. Read more on recent bin service changes in North and East Herts.
You can check your council’s website to find out which bins to use for different types of waste. Find out your rubbish collection day here.
When the wrong bins are used:
Sometimes bins are used incorrectly, such as putting plastic in the food and garden waste bin. If this happens a few times, your local council may decide to remove the bins. They will usually provide warnings first, which could include:
- Not emptying the bin and putting a sticker on it
- Sending a letter to all residents in the block
- Only emptying the bin on the next scheduled collection day
- Charging for the extra service
The correct use of bins is the responsibility of everyone in the block. If problems occur, we encourage residents to talk with neighbours and resolve the issue quickly.
If you become aware of any infestation in a communal or shared area please contact us as soon as possible. If the infestation is in your home or garden you are responsible for having it removed.