Keeping communal areas clear

• Phone: 023 9268 8444
• Email: housingdepot@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
• Read our frequently asked questions

If you live in a council block or shared building, you cannot store anything in communal areas at any time or attach anything to your front door. We are required by government legislation and fire service guidance to keep communal areas in blocks of flats clear. This includes Christmas or other festive decorations, furniture, mats, bikes, plants and even small objects like shoes or toys. This is the same rule most UK housing providers use.

Why this matters

• Clear communal areas mean everyone can escape safely in an emergency.
• Your front door is a fire door and can’t be tampered with
• It also helps emergency services do their job quickly and safely.

What counts as a communal area?

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

• Hallways
• Stairwells
• Lifts
• Drying areas
• Communal balconies
• This policy also applies to your front door

In the case of drying areas and gardens, our focus is on keeping these areas tidy and free from high-risk items.

Why is it now zero-tolerance?

For many years, housing associations and other local authorities have told their residents to keep communal areas clear of anything. At Portsmouth Homes we did not. However, given the legal changes that followed the Grenfell Tower fire and on the advice of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, we introduced a new fire safety policy in April 2024 that did insist on keeping communal areas clear. That policy – partly shaped by residents – is based on a shared commitment to safety and compliance with national fire safety standards.

Whilst we understand a zero-tolerance approach can be inconvenient at times, we have a duty to make sure that you have a clear escape route in an emergency. This means that we have to be strict about what’s left outside of your home.

The law around risk requires us to make sure that, if there was a fire in your block, there would be nothing blocking your escape route – or which could give off smoke or fumes that would affect you or hinder the Fire Service in their rescue duties.

We carry out regular fire safety checks. We look for things like:

• Combustible items – e.g. cardboard boxes, paper, or furniture.
• Trip hazards – e.g. shoes, mats, or bags left in hallways.
• Blocked escape routes – e.g. bikes or pushchairs in corridors.
• Obstructions for emergency services – anything that slows them down.

Your communal areas must not have items that could:

• Stop people escaping
• Block emergency services
• Give off toxic smoke or gas
• Explode in heat (e.g. glass)
• Make a fire spread faster

This includes bicycles, pushchairs, mobility scooters, wheelchairs, e-bikes and e-scooters.

We will:

• Discuss the issue with you directly
• Explain why the items must be removed
• Agree on a solution and timeline
• Follow up with a letter confirming our discussion

What you need to do

• Remove the item as agreed, as soon as possible
• If the item is considered high risk, you’ll need to remove it from the communal area as a matter of urgency
• Continue to keep your communal areas clear of personal items

If items are not removed as agreed

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

No personal items are permitted in communal areas, even if they seem harmless. This includes furniture, plants, ornaments, shoes, and toys as they can interfere with cleaning and pose unexpected risks.

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

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, cited below:

“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 rubbish.”

• Why is it now zero-tolerance?
• You previously gave me permission to keep an item (buggy/mobility aid/bike) in the communal area. Can I carry on?
• Are door mats allowed in communal areas?
• What about items we like to use in the summer, like swimming pools or trampolines?
• Can I not store or charge my mobility scooter, e-scooter or e-bike in a communal area?
• What about my pets and their supplies?
• Can I leave rubbish bags in communal areas on bin day?
• How will you know if communal areas are being kept clear?
• What will you do if communal areas aren’t being kept clear?
• If you remove my items, can I get them back?
• I don’t agree with this approach. What can I do?
• Policies

Whilst we understand a zero-tolerance approach can be inconvenient at times, we have a duty to make sure that you have a clear escape route in an emergency. This means that we have to be strict about what’s left outside of your home.

The law around risk requires us to make sure that, if there was a fire in your block, there would be nothing blocking your escape route – or which could give off smoke or fumes that would affect you or hinder the Fire Service in their rescue duties.

Even if you’ve had permission in the past to store something like a pushchair in an internal communal area, this no longer applies as nothing can now be stored in these areas. (Please contact us on 023 9268 8444 if you have a disability that would need us to consider making reasonable adjustments.)

No – not unless they’re recessed into the surrounding flooring. This is because we need to control the items in these areas to:

• reduce the potential for accidental fires to start and develop
• reduce the risk of deliberate fires being started
• make sure escape routes are free of any obstructions – these could impact on people evacuating the building safely or affect safe access for the fire service to help with an evacuation and tackling a fire.

No – swimming pools, hot tubs, trampolines, bouncy castles, climbing frames and similar items are not allowed in communal areas (there are, however, a couple of exceptions which we’ve noted below).

These items are large and could spoil your neighbour’s enjoyment of communal areas. They also often lead to noise complaints, can lead to severe injury, and obstruct fire services from doing their jobs in the event of a fire.

If we find these items in communal areas, you’ll be asked to either take them into your home or remove it from the communal area immediately. These rules help maintain safety, cleanliness, and accessibility for all of you. Not removing these items when asked or repeated violations may result in removal of items and potential charges.

Exceptions:

1. You can use paddling pools but they must be toddler-sized. You must also supervise them when in use and be able to tip out all the water afterwards and pack them away.
2. You’re allowed to have children’s toys in a suitable communal area but you must supervise them when in use and pack them away when finished.

Any questions about specific items? Contact your housing office.

E-scooters and electric bikes

E-scooters and electric bikes must not be stored or charged in communal areas. They pose a significant fire risk to everyone in the building – especially if left unattended while charging.

Mobility scooters

You should only store mobility scooters or mobility aids in your home or council-approved designated spaces. You must never store or charge them in unapproved communal areas as this poses a safety risk – especially when charging. If you need storage options, please contact your housing office.

Even if your building allows pets, you must not allow your pet to roam about unsupervised or leave food, litter trays or other items in communal areas.

No. Our purpose is to keep the city safe, clean, and tidy, and you can help us by simply keeping your communal areas free of rubbish.

• You must take your bin bags and recycling directly to your designated bin area and place them in the correct bin.
• You must not leave any rubbish outside your home or in communal areas, if it’s only temporarily.

Leaving rubbish outside your home or in communal areas becomes an unpleasant sight and smell for everyone in the area. More importantly, it causes significant risks such as:

• Trip or slip hazards
• Obstructions to other residents and fire services
• Fire risks if the items are highly flammable or toxic
• Attracting vermin
• Becoming a target for anti-social behaviour

Read more about how to recycle and dispose of rubbish properly

As part of our landlord responsibilities, we carry out inspections of our communal areas to make sure they’re safe. These will continue and we will take action if we find items in the hallways or other communal area. Customers, members of the public, contractors and partner agencies may also report items to us.

If you see items in communal areas that shouldn’t be there, please report it to us.

If items could be an immediate danger, we may remove them without notice. Otherwise we’ll take photos of them and make sure the correct legal notice is displayed in the communal area. We’ll also take reasonable steps to find out who the items belong to. We may do this by knocking on doors, leaving calling cards or writing to residents.

We will visit again to see whether the communal areas are clear. If items remain, we’ll request their removal and disposal. In exceptional circumstances we may temporarily store certain items. We may charge customers for the cost of removing, storing and disposing of any items.

We ask for your co-operation with this – and please don’t wait until an inspection or notice to clear these areas of your possessions.

Most items we remove, we will dispose of immediately. We will store some on a short-term temporary basis (for example, if they are of high value). To find out about storage and collection, you will need to contact us on 023 9268 8444.

We’re very sorry if you find our approach difficult and don’t want to remove items from communal areas. But we want to protect all of you and make sure everyone is as safe as possible in the event of an emergency, such as a fire. As such, we won’t be making any exceptions or changing this policy.

You can read all our housing policies, including fire safety, on our website.