Dacorum Block Cleaning Action Plan
Local authorities in England have a legal and operational responsibility to ensure that communal areas in residential buildings and public spaces are kept clean, safe, and accessible. Clean, well‑maintained shared environments help protect public health, support fire safety, and promote safe and pleasant neighbourhoods.
What Are Communal Areas?
Communal areas are any shared internal or external spaces not part of a single household’s private accommodation. Examples include: Corridors, entrance halls, staircases, lobbies, and landings
Shared balconies, bin stores, meter cupboards, laundries, and communal lounges or kitchens.
External spaces such as communal gardens, through‑routes, and parking areas
These areas must be kept free from obstructions, hazards, and personal belongings to help maintain safe access and comply with health and safety obligations.
Why Regular Cleaning Is Important
A structured cleaning programme for communal areas helps to:
- Maintain safety by reducing slip, trip, and fire hazards, especially in high‑traffic areas such as corridors and stairwells.
- Preserve building condition, preventing long‑term damage from dirt, moisture, and wear to carpets, floors, and surfaces.
- Support resident wellbeing, creating a healthy environment with improved air quality and reduced pest risks.
- Demonstrate compliance, ensuring the authority or housing provider can evidence that legal standards are being met.
Some providers apply a “sterile areas” approach, meaning residents cannot store personal items in communal spaces due to fire and safety risks. [forhousing.co.uk]
How Residents Can Help
Residents play an important role in maintaining safe and pleasant communal areas by:
- Keeping shared areas clear of personal items, rubbish, and obstructions
- Reporting issues such as spillages, damage, or safety hazards
- Following building rules about waste disposal and recycling
- Participating in consultations on estate services and improvements
Reporting Problems
If you notice concerns about the cleanliness or safety of communal areas, you should contact your local authority’s housing team or neighbourhood services. Prompt reporting helps ensure issues are resolved quickly and standards are maintained.
Sign up for MyDacorum – your new customer portal
As part of improving our tenancy services, we’ve launched a new customer portal – MyDacorum. It’s designed to give you a faster, easier and more secure way to manage your council services online.
Through MyDacorum, you can:
- Make payments (rent, Council Tax, invoices, contents insurance, licence fees, benefit overpayments)
- Check bin collection dates and set up text reminders
- Access your Council Tax account through 'Citizens Access' – view statements, make applications and request changes
- View live rent statements
- Report complaints or issues
- Request services (waste equipment, assisted collections, garages)
- Track technical support requests
You can easily update your details by completing the ‘About You’ survey, available through your MyDacorum account. It’s quick, simple, and helps us improve our services for everyone.
We also want to make sure we have up-to-date information about you, so we can tailor our services to meet your needs. For example, if you tell us about a disability, health condition or mobility need, we can ensure any contractors working in your home are aware and can prioritise your repair requests appropriately.
👉 Already signed up? Log in to complete the survey today.
👉 Not registered yet? Sign up for MyDacorum here.