Innisfree regularly checks the communal areas and estates that we are responsible for. 

This includes: 

• carrying out regular estate inspections  
• checking internal communal areas to make sure they are clean and well maintained  
• arranging grounds maintenance, including grass cutting and shrubbery where we are responsible for this
• checking for problems such as graffiti and fly-tipping 
• identifying communal repairs that need attention  
• checking and maintaining shared facilities that we are responsible for, such as lifts and play areas.  

Where we identify something that needs attention, we will take appropriate action or work with the relevant organisation where another landlord or organisation is responsible. 

Everyone needs to help keep shared areas safe and accessible. 

Residents are not permitted to leave or store personal belongings, furniture, rubbish or other items in communal hallways, landings, stairwells or other areas where they could cause an obstruction or safety risk. If items are found in communal areas, Innisfree can legally remove them in line with the TORTs (Interference with Goods Act) 1977. 

Communal areas may form part of the route people need to use to leave a building safely, so it is particularly important that they are kept clear. 

If you are concerned about something being stored or left in a communal area, please contact us. 

To report a communal area problem email housing@innisfree.org.uk

Home Safety

Where Innisfree provides communal cleaning, we will arrange for the shared areas covered by the service to be cleaned. 

We monitor the condition of communal areas through our estate and block inspections. 

If you think a communal area has not been cleaned properly or there is an ongoing problem with the cleaning service, please let us know by emailing housing@innisfree.org.uk

If you pay a service charge for communal services, you can find more information about service charges and how they are used on our Service Charges page. 

Innisfree arranges maintenance of shared grounds where these are our responsibility, including regular grass cutting and maintenance of shrubbery. 

Residents are responsible for helping to keep communal areas tidy and should not leave rubbish or other items in shared outside spaces. 

If your tenancy includes a garden that is for your own use, you may be responsible for keeping it maintained. 

To report a problem with communal grounds, email housing@innisfree.org.uk

Your Tenancy

Please dispose of household waste in the appropriate bins and help us keep shared bin areas tidy. 

Do not leave unwanted furniture, appliances, bags of rubbish or other large items in communal areas or beside bin stores. It is your responsibility to dispose of them appropriately – please check your local council site for your nearest waste, reuse and recycling centres. 

Your local council may provide a collection service for bulky household items. Find your local council here: www.gov.uk/find-local-council

If you see fly-tipping or a problem with a communal bin area on land managed by Innisfree, please report it to us. 

Reporty fly-tipping or a bin store problem, email housing@innisfree.org.uk

Please report communal repairs to us as soon as possible. 

These could include problems with: 

• communal lighting
• entrance doors or locks
• door-entry systems
• lifts
• paths, gates or fencing
• communal windows
• leaks affecting shared areas
• other parts of the building or estate that Innisfree is responsible for maintaining.  

The urgency of the repair will depend on the problem and any risk it creates. 

For example, our repairs service currently treats issues including lift failure, loss of communal lighting and some door-entry failures as emergency repairs.  

To report a communal repair email housing@innisfree.org.uk

Repairs and Maintenance

If you notice graffiti or damage in a communal area or on an Innisfree building, please report it to us. 

We will assess what action is needed and arrange removal or repair where this is our responsibility.

Graffiti that is obscene, racist or otherwise connected with hate crime should be reported to us as soon as possible so that we can respond appropriately. 

To report graffiti or damage email housing@innisfree.org.uk

Antisocial behaviour

Everyone should be able to use shared areas without experiencing unreasonable nuisance, intimidation or antisocial behaviour. 

Antisocial behaviour in or around communal areas can include serious or persistent noise nuisance, intimidating behaviour, misuse of shared spaces, fly-tipping, graffiti or other behaviour that affects residents’ enjoyment of their homes and neighbourhood. 

If you are experiencing antisocial behaviour, you can report it to us. 

Roport antisocial behaviour by emailing housing@innisfree.org.uk

Antisocial behaviour

If you have permission to keep a pet, you are responsible for its behaviour in communal areas. 

Dogs should be kept on a lead outside your home. Pets must not foul in communal areas or gardens, disturb or frighten other residents, or enter children’s play areas. 

Our Housing Team carries out estate inspections every 3 months to check the condition of the areas we manage. 

Inspections help us identify issues such as: 

• communal repairs
• cleaning problems
• grounds maintenance
• rubbish and fly-tipping
• graffiti
• items left in shared areas
• other issues affecting the condition of the estate or block.  

Residents can also tell us about problems rather than waiting for an inspection. 

To report a problem with your building or estate email housing@innisfree.org.uk

Some Innisfree homes are on estates where buildings or communal areas are owned or managed by another landlord or organisation. 

If you report a problem to us that another organisation is responsible for dealing with, we will let you know or work with the relevant organisation as appropriate. 

Our Management of Communal Areas Policy refers to these as consortium estates, where more than one social landlord owns or manages properties on the estate.