Report a build up of rubbish on private land

A build-up of rubbish on private land happens when a landowner or householder dumps rubbish on their own land or land on which they are living.

Please note: for fly tipping issues on public or private land see fly tipping.

What you can report

You can report the following:

• Rotten waste which is likely to attract rats
• Waste which produces unpleasant smells
• Human or animal waste

What you can't report

You cannot report the following:

• Waste which is unsightly but does not cause a hazard to public health
• Overgrown gardens (i.e. long grass and vegetation). This is classed as a civil matter.

How to tackle the issue

1. Talk to your neighbour or landowner

Try to sort the issue out with the person causing the rubbish build up first.

If you feel that you cannot speak to them, you could write a letter. You may use our sample letter template example (PDF, 203 KB).

Although you may find this difficult, it is surprising how often people are unaware of the upset they are causing.

2. Talk to the landlord

If you are aware that your neighbour lives in a rented property, you can contact their landlord to raise your concerns.

3. Report it to us

If after considering the options above, you may report the issue to us by completing the following online form:

Report a build up of rubbish on private land

What happens next?

Once you have completed the form, we will contact you within 10 working days to discuss the issue. We will then assess whether or not it is a statutory nuisance.

If the rubbish is a statutory nuisance then the person causing the rubbish build up or the owner of the land will need to remove the waste within a specified time.

If they do not do this, we can then make arrangements for the rubbish to be removed and recover the cost from the person responsible. In some circumstances, we may also consider prosecution. 

Preventing a build-up of rubbish on your land

To prevent any build-up of rubbish on your land, always make sure you do the following:

• manage your waste properly using our bin collection service.
• remove any large items that are too big for your bin using our bulky waste collection service
• remove large quantities of items using our skip hire service