Caretaking and cleaning

If you are concerned about the standard of cleaning and caretaking on your block, you should contact us by:

• email at estate.services@islington.gov.uk
• phone on 020 7527 5300 (option three for caretaking, cleaning and estate services)
• making an appointment to see us in person at your block or 222 Upper Street, London N1 1XR. Opening hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and the last appointment is at 4.30pm.

We will answer any enquiries within 10 working days.

We can tell you about the caretaking and cleaning services that apply to your block and help you sort out any problems you're having with the service.  

Keeping your block clean

Estate Services and caretakers maintain and repair communal and outdoor spaces on estate blocks managed by us. Caretakers have a cleaning schedule to help keep your block safe and clean places to live and visit.

What you should do

Although you have a caretaker service, you should help keep your block safe and clean while living in our properties. We ask that you and your visitors:

• do not drop litter or rubbish in the communal areas
• do not throw things from windows, balconies and landings
• put your rubbish in your bin or the communal bin
• place bulky or large waste items outside in the bulky waste area
• sweep and clean the communal spaces directly outside and around your front door
• keep landings free of obstacles that block or delay a free and safe exit and entrance from your home to outside the block
• tell the Estate Services or the Tenancy Management teams at your local area office about any of your neighbours who keep breaking these rules.

Caretaker duties

This is a list of duties that caretakers and Estate Services do and how often they do them. The timings below are for larger blocks and estates.

How often cleaning happens may be different at blocks where there is a 'service level agreement' (a contract that says what the service will do, when and what happens if they do not do this) or blocks on smaller estates. 

Every day

Caretakers will:

• inspect play areas and seating areas for hazards such as broken glass sharps or damaged equipment and sweep the area clean
• sweep and wash entrances halls and porch ways
• check security of the roof access tank rooms and security doors
• sweep and wash lift floors and where necessary the lower parts of the lift car
• check chutes for blockages unblock or report for repair clean and tidy dust chutes and bin chambers
• report and remove offensive graffiti from communal areas
• check the estate lighting replacing bulbs and tubes, cleaning and wiping the shade and fitting before replacing the bulb
• remove dumped lumber (wood) for internal and external areas to a safe storage point.

Twice a week

Caretakers will:

• sweep all car parks and parking areas
• sweep and wash bin chambers with disinfectant.

Three times a week

Caretakers will:

• remove litter and leaves from grass areas and shrub beds.

Every week

Caretakers will:

• wash external part of all chute hoppers and the surrounding walls and floor
• remove scuff and other marks on doors landings and staircases
• wash all ledges banisters handrails and internal window sills
• sweep and mop stairs and landings – they make checks every day.

Every four weeks (around a month)

Caretakers will:

• dust and clean the external fittings and surfaces, including the light shades and covers
• clean the internal surface of the lift and clean the external lift door panels and frames on all floors.

Every eight weeks (around two months)

Caretakers will:

• clean the low-level facings of all communal windows on doors landings and staircases.