As well as looking after individual properties, we wish to ensure a satisfactory living environment for all our customers.

Landscaped areas
On estates there will be areas of grass, shrubs, flowers, hedges and trees. Some of these belong to, and are maintained, by us. Other areas are the responsibility of local councils or the county council. If we are responsibility, we will:

• Cut the grass every two weeks between April and October (if the weather allows us to to). We do not normally pick up the grass cuttings because of the cost and the problem of disposing of them. We have made this decision after consulting our tenants.
• Cut the hedges twice a year;
• Regularly maintain shrubs and flowerbeds during the growing season and carry out winter maintenance; and
• Prune trees where necessary to prevent damage to structures, blocked gutters and extreme nuisance, and to keep them healthy. We will not cut down trees unless they are dead or dangerous. Many trees have preservation orders on them, which restricts what we can do.

Footpaths and roads
Most of the footpaths and roads are the responsibility of the county council. However some areas are our responsibility, particularly roads into garage areas and the footpaths across grassed areas. If they are our responsibility, we will regularly check them and carry out the maintenance that is needed. If, however you notice any areas that are becoming dangerous, please let us know.

Car parking
Car parking can be a problem on many of our estates, which were built in a time when fewer people owned cars. Each year we set aside money to improve parking facilities. Where possible, and where tenants want them, we will provide individual parking places within private front gardens. If this is not possible, or if the gardens are shared, we will consider providing shared parking areas if there is space to do so. If you think there are parking problems where you live, let us know so that we can make sure we include you in our parking programme. You my have to wait a while before we can provide the parking facilities.

In shared parking areas, it is not normally possible to reserve spaces for individual properties. However if you are disabled and need access to your vehicle, you should contact us and we will see what we can do.

If you are parking in a shared parking area or on the road, you should make sure that you consider your neighbours when parking and don’t take up space with caravans or vehicles that are not being used. If untaxed vehicles or caravans are left in these areas, we will remove them and charge the owner’s for doing so.

You should not leave your vehicle on any area that is not provided for parking (or a road). If you damage a grassed area, we will charge you for putting it right.

You should not park your vehicle in your garden without a proper base for the car and a crossing over the footpath.

The local police can deal with cars that are illegally parked and your local council can deal with cars that are parked on the footpaths.

Abandoned vehicles
Local councils are responsible for removing abandoned vehicles from the highway or nearby areas. Many councils have an on-line reporting system.

Before a vehicle can be removed a notice must be displayed on the vehicle for a period of time – up to 15 days.

Garages
There are garages available to rent on some estates. For more information click here.

Vandalism and graffiti
Fortunately, vandalism on our estates is limited. If you see vandalism, please report it to us so that we can try and identify the culprit and also put things right. If you see any offensive graffiti, please report this and we will arrange for it to be removed urgently. If it is racist or aimed at a specific person we will remove it within 24 hours.

Shared areas in blocks of flats
If you live in a block of flats with a shared entrance that leads to other flats, you must help to keep the entrance and staircase clean (unless we have told you that we will clean it). You should contact the tenants of the other flats and agree a cleaning rota.

If you live in a sheltered or supported scheme with shared areas, we will keep these areas clean.

You should also make sure that you do not leave any rubbish or anything, which may be a fire hazard in the shared areas.

Gardens
If you have your own garden, you must keep it tidy. The garden may be fenced or it may be open-plan. If you live in a flat, make sure that you know if any area is your responsibility. If you are not sure, please check with us.

Untidy and overgrown gardens can spoil the appearance of an estate or may even become a health hazard. We will regularly inspect our estates and contact tenants who don’t maintain their gardens. If you then fail to take action, we may do the work and charge you for it.

If you live in sheltered accommodation, we will maintain any open-plan gardens. If you have a fenced garden, it is your responsibility to maintain it. If you have difficulty doing so, our Handypersons scheme may be able to help you.

If you have a large mature tree in your garden, we will carry out any necessary pruning. You should let us know if work needs to be carried out.

If you want to make changes to your garden, for example, putting up or removing a fence, you should get our permission first. In open-plan areas, you may not be able to put up fencing because of planning regulations.

If you have the use of a shared garden, along with the other tenants of the neighbouring properties, we will maintain this area. However, please contact us if you want to take care of part the gardens yourself. If it can be arranged without disturbing other tenants or affecting the maintenance of the rest of the area, we will be happy for you to do this.

Rubbish
The local council is responsible for collecting household rubbish. Different councils have different arrangements but most now have wheelie bins, which they will provide. Many councils have kerbside recycling arrangements where they will collect paper, glass, metal and plastic and so on separately. Some also collect garden waste. If you are not sure how or when your rubbish is collected, contact your council.

If you have larger items to get rid of, for example furniture, your local councils may have separate arrangements (you may have to pay for some of these). Or you can contact one of the organisations that recycle furniture, electrical appliances or white goods.

Please help us keep the area tidy by getting rid of all your rubbish thoughtfully. If you see someone dumping rubbish, or are aware of areas where rubbish has been left, please let us, or your local council, know so we can take action.