How to get help with tackling a cluttered home | Tenant news

All our homes have things we’ve collected over the years, but keeping large, cluttered collections or hoarding can pose a health and safety risk to you and your immediate neighbours.

The good news is that if you need help with sorting out clutter in your home and/or communal spaces, there are organisations who can support you.

Health and safety

Storing piles of, say, cleaning products, furniture, old clothes or books could lead to slips, falls and trips, which may result in serious injuries.

Objects that are stacked at heights that make them unstable could fall and hurt you or other people in your home.

Meanwhile, storing a lot of heavy objects on bookcases can increase the risk of them toppling over and causing an injury to you or damage to something else in your home.

Storing paper materials in bulk pose a significant fire risk as they are flammable.

“Hoarding can specifically increase risk from fire. Fire can spread quicker, smoke can develop and fill a house much quicker, and escape routes can be blocked, making it harder to get out. Hoarded materials that are flammable increase the risk of a fire starting,” said Karl Linder, Interim Head of Assets at Habinteg.

“It could make it much harder for firefighters to search a property and find people inside. Habinteg also require access to all electrical socket outlets and your fuse board to carry out the annual five-year electrical safety check and hoarding can prevent this.”

De-clutter to clean

Moving a vacuum cleaner around and dusting surfaces is not going to be easy if the floors, surfaces and walls of your home are covered in objects.

If you can’t clean your home properly, dirt, dust and even mould can build up and affect your respiratory health. It could also lead to bug or rodent infestations.

Where to get help

If you’ve got large or bulky items, such as a fridge or a sofa, that need removing, you can arrange a collection from your home via your local council.

If you think you need practical or emotional support for hoarding, you can contact:

• Hoarding UK
• Hoarding Disorders UK
• Hoarding Support
• Mind