Haringey Council has introduced a new policy aimed at keeping communal areas clear of obstructions, enhancing safety for residents and ensuring compliance with housing standards.

The Clear Communal Areas Policy, adopted by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning on Monday, January 19, 2026, provides guidance and enforcement measures for managing common spaces within the council's housing. This policy can be viewed in full here.

This new policy is designed to help the council meet the Social Housing Regulator's consumer standards, specifically the Safety and Quality Standard and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. An alternative of continuing with an outdated policy or having no policy was rejected as it would not meet the needs of the council or its tenants.

The policy aims to support the effective management of communal areas for the safety of tenants, leaseholders, and other users. It clarifies the council's legal duty to keep means of escape and fire routes clear and details tenant responsibilities to follow health and safety advice and keep communal areas free from obstruction.

Applying to Store Items

Tenants and leaseholders wishing to store items in communal areas must seek and receive written permission from the Council beforehand. Applications should be directed to the Fire Safety team, with a response typically expected within 10 working days. The assessment criteria will focus on ensuring that stored items do not obstruct fire exits or emergency routes, nor increase the fire risk of the building. In some instances, designated areas may be available for bicycle storage only.

Enforcement and Costs

The policy outlines the council's legal powers, including the use of a Permanent TORT notice under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977. This notice is on permanent display at the entrance of all the communal areas of our council housing and grants the Council legal powers to remove unapproved items immediately and dispose of removed items immediately without storing them. The policy does not specify an initial warning or request period before immediate removal under the TORT notice.

Furthermore, if a reasonable request for the removal of items from communal areas is not followed, tenants and leaseholders will be liable for reasonable recovery and storage costs and reasonable removal and disposal costs, in line with their Tenancy Agreement, Lease, or Licence Agreement. While the policy acknowledges that recharges will be proportionate to the items involved, it does not provide specific cost ranges or detailed payment procedures.

A Managed Approach

Adopting a managed approach rather than a zero tolerance approach, the policy states that applications to store items in communal areas will be assessed individually. The primary focus will be on ensuring items do not obstruct fire exits or add to fire risk. In exceptional circumstances, written permission may be granted for storing items, such as bicycles, in designated areas.

The policy also commits to communicating regularly with tenants and leaseholders about the need to keep communal areas clear. Resident feedback from the Resident Voice Board (RVB) in July and November 2024 informed the policy, particularly regarding the importance of clear communication and the preference for a managed approach to enforcement. The full public reports pack for the Cabinet Member Signing on January 19, 2026, is available here.