Landlord landed with five-figure costs to clear up tenant’s waste

PROPERTY OWNERS have been urged to be vigilant against waste crime after a landlord in Leeds was forced to spend £24,500 to dispose of household items left behind by a tenant.

In total, 186 tonnes of waste, comprising of furniture, mattresses, scrap metal and fridges, was removed from The Botany Bay Yard on Forge Lane in Armley in Leeds after piles of dumped rubbish were reported to the Environment Agency.

Officers from the agency initially inspected the site in October 2017 and issued a warning. But on later visits, they found the situation to be even worse and so officials ordered the waste to be cleared by late-April.

Environment Agency manager John Callaghan said: “Rogue tenants who rent commercial property and land for the illegal disposal of waste are carrying out waste activity ‘on the cheap’ without the correct permits and safety practices in place.

“When discovered, the responsibility for clearing the waste and remediating the site often falls to the landlord. If the site has been contaminated, these costs can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Mr Callaghan warned property and land owners, commercial property agents, trade associations and local authorities to all be on their guard.

He said: “We’re asking property and land owners to be vigilant and better protect themselves.

“We’re also reminding businesses, organisations and individuals that they have a legal duty of care to manage their waste responsibly and prevent it from getting into criminal hands in the first place.”

The annual economic impact of waste crime in England is an estimated £604m.