Estate Services

We can carry out a consultation with the residents if this is required, and establish how this will increase the service charge.

Please contact us if you'd like to discuss having this service provided to your block or development. 

We only clean communal windows.

The windows must be within safe reach of the operative carrying out the cleaning.

Yes, leaf collecting season is usually between October and December. If you find that leaves are not being collected please contact us to let us know.

Please note we will collect leaves from communal garden areas only. Private gardens will be the customer’s responsibility

Our caretakers are responsible for cleaning the communal areas on estates where the roads belong to Catalyst.

If the roads belong to the council, then it will be the Local Authority’s responsibility to clean them.

If the property is owned outright by the customer it will then be their responsibility to clean and maintain.

If you would like to report any Catalyst communal areas that require cleaning or maintenance you can report this online or by contacting us.

We'll grit sheltered schemes or the areas directly outside the entrance doors to blocks of flats.

Residents are responsible for looking after their own personal driveways, footpaths and entrances. Only in exceptional circumstances we may agree to grit them on their behalf.

For other areas we take a common sense approach when gritting. We take into consideration:

• How often the area is used
• How many people use the area
• The condition of the area, i.e. is it a slope
• The customers that use the area. For example is it a path to a care facility

Japanese knotweed begins to grow in early spring and can grow in any type of soil, no matter how poor.

• It can grow as much as 20 centimetres per day.
• It spreads through rhizome (underground root-like stem) fragments and cut stems.
• It produces clusters of cream flowers towards the end of July.
• It dies back between September and November, leaving brown stems.

Please contact us and provide full details, such as why you think it is Japanese knotweed, where it is located and how long it has been present.

We will arrange for our Estate Services team to come out and inspect first before carrying out any treatment plan.

Communal grass is usually cut fortnightly during the growing season (March to October). Please refer to the gardening schedule that should be placed inside the communal area for residents to see.

The cutting of grass refers to communal areas only. Private gardens will be the customer’s responsibility.

Japanese knotweed is a strong growing large perennial plant, native to eastern Asia. It has been classified as an invasive species in several countries.

If left untreated, Japanese knotweed can cause damage to buildings and underground constructions such as drainage and sewage systems. For this reason it is important to report Japanese knotweed so that it can be treated.

We can proof to prevent birds from nesting, but once the nest is occupied we cannot remove it. We are legally prevented from removing or damaging a live nest as per the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981.

Bees are not deemed to be pests, therefore we would not treat them unless there was thought to be a health and safety issue.

• If they are honey bees and not something that’s been misidentified, the British Beekeeper’s Association can give you the contact details of a local beekeeper who will be happy to take the swarm away.
• Bumblebees will not be dealt with by the British Beekeeper’s Association. You may have to contact a pest control company for advice.

For any health and safety issues, please contact us.

Bed bugs can live anywhere in the home and are the customer’s responsibility to treat. Peabody will treat bedbugs that are found in communal areas.

Will you help me with bedbugs if I am vulnerable?

If we have information on our system advising us that you have a vulnerability we can assess whether we are able to help you.

If you have not provided us with information from a GP, or social worker, or mental health service that evidences any vulnerability you have (such as a mental health issue, physical disability, etc.) then please send this to us. The evidence will need to show why you require support with treatment of bedbugs. We can then assess whether we are able to help you.

You can send any supporting information of vulnerability to us either online or by post. 

Plaster beetles are very tiny, almost black insects, about 2mm long.

They can be found in either new houses where plaster has not dried up completely, or in older homes where plaster gets damp.

The adults and larvae feed on microscopic moulds and mildew, and they will die out if the rooms are thoroughly dried and ventilated. Pest control is not required for these cases.

In order to eliminate the beetles you need to identify and deal with the cause of dampness.

Please contact us about any urgent pest control issues (e.g. mice chewing through live wires, or wasps stinging residents).

No, we will not treat infestations of bedbugs or fleas that have originated and are contained within individual homes. This would be the tenant’s responsibility.

We'll deal with all pests that are found in:

• communal parts of our properties, such as lobbies, hallways, staircases and landings of blocks of flats.
• the ‘structure’ of blocks of flats, such as drains, roof spaces, car parks, boiler rooms and refuse enclosures.

This normally includes:

• Mice
• Rats
• Ants
• Cockroaches
• Pigeons
• Squirrels
• Wasp nests
• Beehives
• Bedbugs

We'll seek professional advice where appropriate. For example, bees are an endangered species and may require specialist control that does not lead to their destruction.

The cost of all pest control works carried out in communal areas will be recovered through service charges paid by the tenants and leaseholders who benefit from them, in line with their tenancy agreements and leases.

Please contact us to report a pest problem in communal areas.

With the introduction of tenant satisfaction measures, listening to your feedback and the experience of the in-house team operating in different areas within your region, we feel that now is the time to return.

This in-house model allows close collaboration between your Neighbourhood Customer Specialist and the Estates Services team, enabling us to quickly listen to you and implement improvements.

In-house Estate Services is performed within Peabody rather than through a contractor. This means that the organisation employs the team directly.

Having an in-house team allows greater flexibility in service delivery and allows us to work closely with you to provide the best service.

During this period you'll continue to receive services. However, if you notice any issues with these services, please contact us to let us know.

As we’re bringing cleaning and gardening services in-house, we’re not required to undertake a formal consultation with you.

However, we wanted to bring this to your attention while we’re making changes to these services because we want you to be aware of what’s happening, so you can speak to us if you have any questions. We’ll continue to listen to your feedback to improve our services.

At this point, we don’t know. However, the transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment (TUPE) applies to this contract, meaning that we’ll work with your existing contractor over the next few months to manage this process.

This will mean that some of the existing team may move across to work for Peabody as part of this process, which may mean that you keep the same caretaker or gardener. We’ll introduce you to your new team when the new service launches.

There will be no changes to your service charges before your new contract starts. We’re working through the estimates for each customer and will notify you when we send out your annual service charge estimates.

Our key priorities are the ensure that all customers are charged fairly for the services you receive, and we’ll be able to provide a breakdown of costs when we calculate your actuals.

There will be no decrease in the quality of the service that you receive. Caretakers will attend