Spotlight on safety: communal areas

Your home

Keeping you and your community safe is our top priority. When it comes to fire safety it’s really important for us to look after communal areas in buildings. But we need your support to make it happen.

Communal areas

Here's some advice on how you can help.

Keep it clear

Make sure your communal areas are clear of rubbish so that fire escape routes are accessible for everyone. In addition to blocking the escape route itself, rubbish and personal items that are in the way can cause accidents if people are trying to exit the building in a hurry.

Removal and disposal of items

While we understand that leaving buggies, scooters and/or similar items on the ground floor might make it easier to leave and return to your property, please don’t leave them in the communal areas.

Shared areas such as hallways and courtyards are critical in an emergency situation. We don’t want anything to prevent you and your family from evacuating the building in an emergency or delay firefighters from doing their job. If items are found in communal areas, they will be removed and disposed of immediately.

Keep storage areas clear

Make sure all communal storage areas, such as utilities and riser cupboards, are always kept clear. Items left in these areas pose a serious fire risk.

Don’t forget those gardens too

Any external communal areas should also be clear and tidy. Items left in communal gardens, for example, may pose a trip hazard when people are escaping the building.

The why

When it comes to fire safety, if you keep these clear instructions in mind, it’ll help to protect your safety and the safety of everyone in your building.

More information

To find out more about fire safety, please take a look at our website.