Month: January 2026

HMO Waste Management: Bins, Recycling and Shared Cleaning

If you manage or own an HMO, there’s one issue that causes more complaints, inspections and friction than landlords expect — and it’s not rent, noise, or even maintenance.

It’s bins, recycling, and shared responsibility.

Our lettings team hears about it from tenants.
Our field technician sees it during inspections.
And councils across Greater Manchester pay close attention to it.

Yet it’s still one of the most overlooked parts of HMO management.

This article explains why bin storage and communal cleanliness matter so much in HMOs, what typically goes wrong with waste management, and what landlords can do to prevent it becoming a problem.

Why Waste Management Matters More in HMOs

In single-let properties, waste is usually straightforward.
One household, one routine, one set of habits.

HMOs are different.

You’re dealing with:

  • Multiple unrelated tenants
  • Different work schedules
  • Different levels of understanding around UK recycling rules
  • Shared responsibility — which often means no one feels fully responsible

From a council’s perspective, poor waste management in an HMO is one of the clearest indicators of a poorly management. Overflowing bins, black bags left outside, or contamination of recycling quickly draw attention — and complaints.

Once complaints start, inspections often follow.

What We Actually See on the Ground

This isn’t theory — it’s based on what our team regularly encounters.

1. Overflowing or Incorrectly Used Bins

Tenants often don’t know:

  • Which bin is for what
  • When collection days are
  • What happens if a bin is missed

Food waste ends up in recycling.
Recycling ends up in black bins.
Bags get left next to bins when they’re full — which councils treat as fly-tipping.

A common issue we see is recycling bins not being collected because they’ve been contaminated with general waste or food. Tenants often assume the council will ‘just take it anyway’, but missed collections quickly lead to rubbish piling up in shared spaces.

2. Not Enough Bin Capacity for the Household Size

This is extremely common.

A property licensed for 5 or 6 occupants often still has:

  • The same bin capacity as a single-family home
  • No food waste bin
  • No overflow plan

The result is predictable — bins fill up mid-week, and rubbish starts accumulating in yards, hallways or kitchens.

3. Shared Spaces With “Everyone’s Job” and No Owner

Communal kitchens, hallways and yards fall into a grey area.

Tenants often ask:

  • “Is cleaning included?”
  • “Who’s responsible for the hallway?”
  • “Do we need to clean the bins?”

When it’s unclear, standards drop.
When standards drop, complaints rise.

4. External Areas Are Forgotten

Rear yards, bin stores and side access routes are often overlooked.

These areas:

  • Collect loose waste
  • Attract pests
  • Are highly visible to neighbours and council officers

They’re also one of the first things inspected externally.

Why This Becomes a Landlord Problem (Even If Tenants Cause It)

This is the part many landlords find frustrating — but it’s important to understand.

From a council or enforcement perspective:

The landlord or managing agent is responsible for ensuring the property is managed properly.

That includes:

  • Adequate waste provision
  • Clear guidance for tenants
  • Reasonable steps to prevent accumulation

Even if tenants are the ones putting rubbish in the wrong place, the consequences still fall on the landlord if no systems are in place.

Communal Cleaning: Closely Linked to Waste Issues

From our experience, bins rarely exist in isolation. Where waste management slips, communal cleanliness usually follows.

We often see:

  • Kitchens not being cleaned regularly
  • Floors sticky or littered
  • Hallways cluttered with bags or boxes
  • Fridges overfilled with old food

This leads to:

  • Tenant disputes
  • Higher turnover
  • Pest risks
  • Poor inspection outcomes

Importantly, cleaning expectations are one of the most common causes of tenant dissatisfaction in HMOs.

What Good Looks Like: Practical Steps That Work

This doesn’t require over-management — just clarity and structure.

1. Provide the Right Number and Type of Bins

Check that the property has:

  • Sufficient general waste capacity
  • Recycling bins that match local council rules
  • Food waste bins where required

For larger HMOs, this often means requesting additional bins from the council — something many landlords don’t realise is possible.

2. Make Bin Rules Visible

Do not rely on tenancy agreements alone.

Simple signage in communal areas helps:

  • What goes in each bin
  • Collection days
  • Tenant Bin Rotas (updated as tenants come & go)

This is especially helpful for tenants new to shared living or new to the UK.

3. Set Clear Cleaning Expectations From Day One

Tenants should know:

  • What areas they’re responsible for
  • Whether cleaning is shared or provided
  • What “acceptable” condition looks like

Vagueness causes conflict.
Clarity prevents it.

4. Consider Communal Cleaning Where Appropriate

In some HMOs, professional communal cleaning pays for itself.

It:

  • Maintains standards
  • Reduces disputes
  • Improves tenant satisfaction
  • Helps during inspections

This doesn’t mean daily cleaning — even a weekly or fortnightly clean can make a significant difference.

5. Regular Inspections Catch Problems Early

Routine inspections often reveal:

  • Bin areas getting out of hand
  • Build-up of waste
  • Hygiene issues before they escalate

Early intervention avoids complaints and council involvement later.

Why This Matters Long-Term

HMO Waste Management and cleanliness issues don’t just affect day-to-day management.

They impact:

  • Tenant retention
  • Neighbour relationships
  • Inspection outcomes
  • Reputation with local councils

Well-managed HMOs are usually obvious within minutes of arriving — and poorly managed ones are too.

Final Thoughts

Bins and communal cleaning might not feel like “big” issues compared to licensing or safety certificates, but in reality they’re one of the most visible measures of how well an HMO is run.

The good news is that these problems are:

  • Predictable
  • Preventable
  • Relatively easy to fix with the right systems

If you’re managing HMOs in Manchester or Greater Manchester and aren’t sure whether your waste and communal arrangements are up to scratch, it’s worth reviewing them now — before they become someone else’s complaint.

If you’d like support reviewing how your HMO is managed day-to-day — including bins, cleaning and shared areas — our team at Confidence Property are always happy to help.

HMO Electrical & Gas Safety in Manchester (2026 Guide)

When you operate HMOs, safety isn’t a side issue — it’s central to everything. Across the HMOs we manage in Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Rochdale and beyond, electrical and gas safety are two of the areas where landlords are most exposed to enforcement action if systems slip.
What we’ve found over the years is that most issues don’t come from landlords ignoring their responsibilities. They come from assumptions, outdated guidance, or certificates quietly expiring while everyone is focused on tenants, refurbishments or voids.
This article sets out, in plain terms, what HMO landlords must do in 2026, based on what councils actually check for and what we deal with day-to-day in real properties.

1. HMO electrical safety Greater Manchester

Every HMO must have a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) carried out by a qualified electrician at least every five years.

In practice, this is one of the first documents councils ask for during:
Licence applications or renewals
Compliance visits
Investigations following tenant complaints

Where we often see problems is not the absence of an EICR — but what happens after it’s issued.

Common real-world issues we come across include:
Reports showing C2 or FI issues that were never rectified
Remedial works completed but no written evidence retained
Landlords assuming the electrician “sorted everything” without confirmation

From a council’s perspective, an EICR with outstanding issues is the same as non-compliance.

How we handle it:
We treat the EICR as a live document. Any issues are actioned immediately, confirmation is obtained in writing, and everything is logged centrally so it’s ready when the council asks.

2. PAT Testing: Mandatory in HMOs

This is an area where there’s still confusion — but for HMOs, the position is clear.

In licensed HMOs, PAT testing is effectively mandatory. While general landlord guidance sometimes refers to PAT testing as “best practice”, local authorities expect HMO landlords to be able to prove that all landlord-supplied appliances are safe.

In inspections across Manchester and Greater Manchester, we’re routinely asked to provide:
PAT testing records
Pass/fail dates
Evidence that failed appliances were removed or replaced

The most common issues we find are:
Appliances replaced mid-tenancy but never added to the PAT register
Older items left in communal kitchens without testing
PAT carried out once, then not repeated

Our rule is simple:
If we supply it, we test it — and we keep the paperwork ready.

This removes debate during inspections and demonstrates proactive electrical safety management.

Additional points we regularly have to clarify with landlords:

• Landlord-supplied appliances such as fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, microwaves and kettles are expected to be PAT tested in HMOs. If the appliance is provided as part of the property, councils treat it as the landlord’s responsibility.

• Newly purchased appliances do not usually require immediate PAT testing, provided they are new, CE-marked and supplied with manufacturer documentation. However, they must still be added to the PAT register and tested at the next scheduled testing cycle.

• Tenant-owned appliances sit in a grey area. While landlords are not legally responsible for testing tenants’ personal items, many councils expect HMO managers to take reasonable steps to manage risk. In practice, we often require tenants to make personal appliances available for testing, or restrict certain high-risk items altogether. This is something we manage clearly through house rules and onboarding.

3. HMO gas safety Manchester

Gas safety is where councils show the least flexibility — and for good reason.

HMO landlords must:
Arrange an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer
Ensure certificates never expire
Provide copies to tenants and councils on request

We’ve seen enforcement action taken where:
Certificates expired during tenant changeovers
Access issues weren’t chased early enough
Documents existed but couldn’t be produced quickly

These are not theoretical risks.
A Manchester landlord was prosecuted and fined after failing to carry out annual gas safety checks over a prolonged period, and Greater Manchester councils have issued significant civil penalties where gas safety failures were identified during inspections.

From a council’s point of view, intent doesn’t matter — only compliance.

What we do:
Expiry dates are tracked, reminders are automated, access is arranged early, and missed appointments are rebooked immediately. Gas safety is never allowed to drift.

4. Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Still Non-Negotiable

Although this article focuses on electrical and gas safety, alarms sit directly alongside them.

In the HMOs we manage, we ensure:
Interlinked smoke alarms on every storey
Carbon monoxide alarms in all relevant rooms
Testing is logged and issues are resolved immediately

Councils increasingly expect evidence — not just confirmation — that alarms are installed and maintained.

5. Record-Keeping: Where Many Landlords Fall Short

We often say this to landlords:
It doesn’t matter how compliant you are if you can’t show it.

During council visits, officers typically want to see:
Current EICR
PAT testing records
Gas Safety Certificates
Evidence of remedial works
Clear dates and audit trails

We regularly come across landlords who are compliant in practice but lose time — and credibility — because documents are scattered across emails or contractors’ invoices.

As HMO specialists, we centralise everything so it’s accessible instantly.

6. What Happens When Safety Slips

When electrical or gas safety requirements aren’t met, consequences can include:
Improvement notices
Civil penalties of up to £30,000
Rent Repayment Orders
Licence refusal or revocation

Greater Manchester councils are increasingly proactive, and inspections are no longer rare or reactive. Many are routine, scheduled, and detailed.

7. Our HMO Gas & Electrical Safety Checklist

This is the baseline we never compromise on:

✔ Valid EICR, with all issues resolved
✔ Mandatory PAT testing for all supplied appliances
✔ Annual Gas Safety Certificate never allowed to expire
✔ Smoke and CO alarms installed, tested and logged
✔ Clear, accessible safety documentation
✔ Reminder systems for all renewals

This approach protects tenants — and just as importantly, protects landlords.

Managing electrical and gas safety in an HMO isn’t about knowing the rules — it’s about consistently meeting them.
If you’re not completely confident your HMO safety processes align with what councils in Manchester and Greater Manchester actually expect, we can carry out a full compliance audit and highlight any gaps before they become problems.

👉 Get in touch to arrange an HMO safety review.