Environmental services

Cleaning and caretaking

Our caretakers look after communal shared areas and keep them clean and safe for residents and their visitors. With over 150 caretakers working across our estates, we are committed to maintaining high standards in your community.

Caretaker responsibilities

Our caretakers take care of a wide range of tasks, including:

cleaning shared spaces like lifts, lobbies, and entrances
sweeping all hard surfaces around the building
changing lightbulbs and reporting necessary repairs
reporting anti-social behaviour, such as vandalism or rough sleeping
removing graffiti (offensive within 24 hours, non-offensive within five working days)
carrying out monthly fire safety checks
clearing weeds and leaves from communal areas
unblocking bin chutes and reporting dumped waste or flytipping
gritting footpaths and entrances during icy weather.

For urgent safety issues, we have a dedicated mobile team on call 24/7. Our caretakers are easy to spot in their uniforms and high-visibility vests. Feel free to say hello and talk to them about any any cleaning concerns. They work Monday to Friday, from 8am to 4pm.

Cleaning schedule

Daily tasks (Monday to Friday):

Health and safety checks of all internal/external communal areas and spot clean if needed
Sweep and mop lift floors
Place illegally dumped bulky items at collection points
Clean bin areas following collections
Check waste chutes for blockages
Sweep and mop all lobbies and entrances to blocks with lifts
Litter pick external areas
Check litter bins and empty when required
Visual inspection of play areas

Weekly tasks

Sweep and mop all lobbies and entrances to blocks without lifts, at least twice
Sweep and mop all internal staircases
Clean lift cars including walls, doors and button panels
Clean high touch points including communal intercoms and handrails
Check internal communal lights and replace faulty bulbs
Remove cobwebs, when required
Spot clean internal corridors
Sweep external communal areas (more often if required)
Clean chute rooms and bin chambers

Monthly tasks

Sweep or mop open communal landings
Sweep and mop internal corridors
Clean chute hoppers
Clean handrails
Clean entry doors (more often if required)
Spot clean walls and ceilings
Complete fire safety checks

Annual tasks

Wash communal doors, accessible signage
Wash accessible parts of communal windows

When required we will:

Deep clean communal areas including internal wall washing
Clean lift trackers
Clean light diffusers
Report repairs and anti-social behaviour
Remove weeds
Remove estate agent signs
Remove graffiti; offensive graffiti will be removed - within one working day
Seasonal works such as: gritting for ice, snow and leaf clearances

You can also download a copy of our cleaning schedule.

During evenings and weekends

Our caretakers work from 8am to 4pm on weekdays. For any health and safety issues outside of these hours including weekends please contact us on 020 7364 5015 and we will send our mobile response team.

For further information regarding caretaking please contact us on 020 7364 0592 or email estate.services@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

The above schedule is a guide and does not apply fully to all blocks. It is also subject to change in case of unforeseen circumstances.

How you can help

Please respect the communal areas of our estates.
Always dispose of rubbish correctly and recycle as much as possible. More information can be found on the Recycling and waste page.
If you spot a cleaning issue or graffiti, report it using our MyHome online form or call us at 020 7364 5015.
To report waste missed collection complete the online form or contact us at 020 7364 5000.

Gardening

Our dedicated gardening team looks after all communal green areas of our estates.

They cut over 380,000 square metres of lawns and maintain over 60,000 square metres of flower beds. Our gardening team works on a scheduled programme visiting every area several times per year.

They perform maintenance tasks according to the season and specific requirements of each site.

Gardening responsibilities

Grass maintenance

We cut grass from March to October, with schedules adjusted for periods of extreme weather.

Grass clippings are left on the lawns to reduce waste and return nutrients to the soil, while verges are cleaned up after every cut.

Our team also trims around flower bulbs and removes bulb foliage once it has faded. Leaf clearing, edging, and reseeding are done as needed to keep our estates looking their best.

Shrub and rose maintenance

We take care of shrubs and roses with regular pruning and shaping in both summer and winter. This ensures safety while keeping everything in line with good horticultural practices.

Winter tasks

Pruning shrubs and roses
Cultivating flower beds
Weeding and edging flower beds
Removing dead or diseased plants
Clearing unwanted growth around tree trunks
Gapping up existing beds and new planting

Summer tasks

Deadheading roses
Light trimming of hedges
Spot weeding and weed-killing
Removing damaged or diseased plants

Bulb planting

We plant thousands of spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and crocuses across our estates. These colourful blooms help boost biodiversity and provide early nectar for insects.

Wildflower meadows

To further support local wildlife, we create wildflower areas across our estates. These meadows offer vibrant colours throughout the growing season and provide a vital habitat for bees, butterflies, and other creatures.

Japanese knotweed

We take the risk of Japanese knotweed infestation seriously and treat it from March to October using the latest methods. This invasive plant can damage property and natural ecosystems, so controlling it is essential.

How you can help

Please respect shared garden spaces by cleaning up after your pets and disposing of litter in the bins provided.

Trees on estates

Trees play an important role in cities and improve our quality of life in many different ways. They provide many environmental, social, health, and economic benefits.

We manage and care for over 5,000 trees on our estates. Our goal is to care for and protect trees to ensure they are safe and healthy. We also want to increase the number and variety of trees on our estates. A skilled contractor carries out all our tree work.

Tree management

Trees are often a topic of debate - some people want them trimmed, while others prefer they stay untouched. We base our tree work on professional surveys, which help guide our plans and manage risks and budgets effectively.

Our tree program runs on a 3–5-year cycle. During each cycle, a specialist contractor surveys all our communal trees, and we complete any necessary work within five years based on priority. We also maintain a digital map and record of every estate tree, which is regularly updated.

We arrange urgent work if a tree poses a danger, such as:

Tree is snapped or blown over
Tree is rocking due to damaged roots
Tree is uprooted but held up by another tree or building
Large branch has broken off or is hanging from the tree
Tree or branch is blocking the road or footpath
Tree or branch is blocking access to property
Tree has fallen onto a house or car

Signs that a tree may be a risk to people or property (but does not require an emergency response) include:

Tree is dead
Tree is dying, showing few leaves in summer or dieback in the crown
Bark is loose and falling off
Mushrooms or fungi are growing on or near the tree
Old splits and cracks in the trunk or large branches
Smaller branches or twigs are falling from the tree

Other reasons for tree inspection and/or work include:

Diseased trees, such as those affected by Massaria
Oak trees infested with caterpillars
Trees touching a structure
Street light obstruction
Traffic sign obstruction
Trees associated with crime or anti-social behaviour
Trip hazards

We do not carry out work for reasons such as:

Bird droppings
Blocking of light
Blocking of views
Shedding leaves or blossoms
Production of sap
Shedding fruits, berries, or nuts
Poor TV or satellite reception (unless affecting communal aerial)
Personal medical complaints
Trees overhanging property
Wild animals or insects
Trees considered too big or too tall

Our tree programme includes:

Regular inspection of all estate trees
Pruning
Felling
Planting of new trees and orchards
Emergency tree works
Prevention measures to deal with known diseases

Programmed tree planting

We have an annual tree planting program that includes all council-owned land and is not restricted to street tree planting. If you are aware of any empty tree pits or would like to suggest a new site for planting, please let us know by contacting us on 020 7364 0592 or sending email to estate.services@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Privately owned trees

Trees on private property may be subject to Tree Preservation Orders or are protected as part of a conservation area.

Before carrying out any work on a tree, always contact the council's development team. For more advice for private tree owners, visit the Planning Services' Tree Management page.

If you have any queries regarding trees in the parks or on the highways, please contact Parks and Open Spaces.

Response Team

Our Response Team supports caretakers and manages drainage issues during both regular hours and emergency situations. They offer essential backup when caretakers are absent or when additional help is needed.

Main tasks

Covering for caretakers when they are away
Responding to emergency cleaning needs
Handling areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour
Removing graffiti and bulky items
Jet-washing paving and external walls

The team also deals with internal and external blockages, which include:

Blockages in kitchens, sinks, baths washbasins and toilets
Clearing blockages in communal areas, like landing gullies and stack pipes
Clearing blockages in main drainage and rainwater systems
Repairing backsurge to properties and utilities
Using CCTV to inspect stacks pipes and drainage systems
Drying up flooded areas from backsurge to utilities
Repairing or replacing manhole and gully covers
Regular cleaning of drainage system

To report blocked sink, bath or toilet please contact us on 020 7364 5015.

Household waste and recycling

For collection times or to report a missed collection, check the online waste collection schedule or call 020 7364 5000.

We are committed to recycling as much as possible. To find out what items can be recycled and what cannot please visit our recycling page.

Disposing of large items

There are several ways to dispose of your large items safely. Find out more about bulky waste.

Lithium battery fires

Did you know lithium batteries can cause fires in rubbish trucks? Please do not put them in your waste or recycling bins. Instead, take them to the Reuse and Recycling Centre at Northumberland Wharf for safe disposal.