Estate cleaning

Caretaking

Our caretakers clean and maintain the shared areas on your estates.

Every day our caretakers will:

• sweep and wash lifts and lobby areas, and spot mop other areas
• check rubbish chutes and clear blockages if they can
• replace broken light bulbs and tube lights in some shared areas
• report repairs needed in shared areas
• remove all offensive internal graffiti, if they can
• litter-pick around the blocks’ entrances
• report emergency repairs to communal areas
• carry out health and safety checks for spillages and hazards in lobbies, lifts and stairways and remove or report items dumped in communal areas
• report tenancy breaches and anti-social behaviour, such as rubbish left in corridors

They also do these tasks as and when required, so they're sometimes done several times a day. These frequencies refer to all large and medium-sized blocks. Some smaller blocks will not receive daily visits. We will normally visit these at least three times per week. 

Every week our caretakers will:

• sweep estate roads, paths and car parks
• sweep and wash shared areas, stairways, landings and corridors
• dust ledges and railings
• carry out a full clean of the block – this includes sweeping and mopping floors, dusting accessible ledges, cleaning accessible glass, and dusting and cleaning lights
• wipe down railings and ledges in communal areas

We aim to stick to these frequencies under normal circumstances including planned leave. However, we cannot always cover long term sickness or other unplanned absences. We aim to achieve these frequencies 85% of the year, and always prioritise the most urgent and health and safety related tasks.

Bulky waste

For tenants and leaseholders in Lewisham council homes, there are collection points on most estates for unwanted large items. If you aren't sure if your estate has a collection point, email estates@lewisham.gov.uk or call 0800 028 2028 to speak to our Estates Environment team. 

You can help us keep their estate clean and tidy by putting items out for collection no more than one day before the scheduled collection. This helps deter fly-tipping.

If you are not resident of a Lewisham Council managed estate you cannot use our estate bulky waste collection points. This will be considered illegally dumped waste or fly-tipping which could result in a fine. You can book a book a bulky waste collection from your home for a fee. 

What we will collect

All items must be able to be safely handled by two people and should be less than two metres in length. We will collect the following:

• white good appliances such as fridge, freezer, fridge-freezer, washing machine/dryer, dishwasher, cooker
• bikes
• carpets, floor covering and rugs - rolled and  tied
• furniture such as wardrobes, sofas, tables, shelves, desks, cabinet or cupboards, beds (base/frame and headboard is considered 1 item)
• internal doors
• mattresses
• mirrors
• water tanks (plastic)

Please do not leave

Any of these items left will be treated as illegally dumped waste (fly-tipping). Do not leave the following:

• anything that can go in general waste or recycling bins
• small electrical appliances such as TV, vacuum cleaner, computers, lamps, kettles
• any glass
• asbestos
• DIY and building waste
• car parts and batteries
• bathtubs or showers
• chemicals, paint, oils, and gas bottles or canisters
• decking
• external doors, windows and garage doors
• fence panels
• fire surrounds
• fluorescent tubes
• metal water tank
• pianos
• safes
• sheds
• sinks
• snooker tables – full size
• soil and trees
• storage heaters
• toilets
• wheelchairs

Responding to illegally dumped waste (fly-tipping)

Any waste left in the open air (other than for a bulk collection) is considered illegally dumped. This includes leaving items at bulk points which are not part of the bulk service.

Anyone illegally dumping waste could face criminal prosecution, as well as further action under their tenancy agreement. Report fly-tipping online using the cleaner Lewisham app.

We aim to remove any illegally dumped waste on our estates within 5 working days of a resident’s report.

Estate walkabouts

If you have any questions or concerns about the upkeep of your estate, please contact us. Our staff are available to carry out an estate walkabout with you.

Pest control

We carry out an annual pest control programme to buildings that have current or historical issues with most pests.

To report pest control for a single home, please contact our Pest Control team. Please note there may be a charge for some services.

If you choose to use a private pest control provider in your home, please ensure they are professionally trained and the products they use are approved by the Health and Safety Executive.

Window cleaning

We provide a window cleaning service for the shared areas in some buildings on our estates.

Reporting communal repairs

Although our caretakers report emergency communal repairs, residents can also request them by calling 0800 028 2028.

Access to intake cupboards

If your meter is in a locked cupboard in the communal area and you require access to top up or take a reading, please speak to your caretaker or email environment@lewishamhomes.org.uk.

Please note, this does not include access to carry out any type of work. Our staff are instructed at no point to leave intake cupboards unlocked or unattended.