May

Rubbish idea? Islington latest council to fine landlords for tenants’ recycling mistakes

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A leading London council is set to approve a controversial new scheme that will fine HMO landlords when tenants put non-recyclable materials into communal bins.

If Islington Council gets the green light, landlords will have to fork out £47 each time that refuse collectors find “significant amounts of non-recyclable material” in the bin.

Currently, each time this happens, a separate refuse crew has to go back and empty the bins, with the council absorbing any extra costs.

Islington will first issue a section 46 notice to all landlords and managing agents of properties that use communal recycling bins, explaining which containers to use.

But if their bin is then found to be ‘contaminated’ they’ll have to pay the £47 charge.

If they refuse, the bin won’t be emptied and they’ll be invited to remove the rubbish themselves and the recycling bin will be emptied as normal on the next scheduled collection day. If this doesn’t happen, they’ll be served with a community protection notice.

The council says this plan will offset the additional cost of collection for which there is currently no budget and improve the quality of recycling collected.

Not the first

Islington is not the first council to take this type of action; among those who charge for the service are Cambridge City Council (£30), Wigan Council (£20), and Watford Council which charges up to £90.

In 2017, the government extended HMO licencing and as part of the measures promised to make landlords responsible for bins and the associated dumped rubbish, declaring: “Landlords will be held responsible for making sure the council’s rules on refuse and recycling are followed.”

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