Landlords falling victim to illegal waste dumping

The Environment Agency has released a statement to advise unsuspecting landlords to be more vigilant in checking potential tenants due to a rise in illegal waste dumping.

Land and industrial unit owners are being targeted by illegal waste criminals, disposing of a range of waste types – some of which has the potential to be harmful to the environment.

The Environment Agency explained in the statement that criminals are posing as tenants, renting properties and units only to store illegal waste, most of which are hazardous materials and therefore heavily legislated.

Once the waste has been illegally dumped, landlords then face the difficult and expensive task of disposing of the materials in the correct way. Failure to do so can result in fines and criminal prosecution, even though it was not their waste to begin with.

The Agency also released the top four land types that are likely to be utilised by waste criminals:

• Farms (34%)
• Industrial Units (24%)
• Abandoned Factories (10%)
• Derelict Sites (7%)

If you are the owner of one of these land types, the Environment Agency are asking you to be much more thorough when auditing prospective tenants, otherwise you may be facing the costs and legal implications of being a victim of illegal waste dumping.

Offering advice such as checking empty land or units regularly, carrying out extensive checks on new tenants, reporting unusual behaviour and ensuring that your existing rental contract meets regulations, more information on this can be found on their website.

However, a key thing to remember is that illegal waste dumping is a crime and it is likely that requests to store waste for a short time will result in the materials never being collected.

Illegal waste dumping is not a new issue

Dumping illegal waste, also known as fly tipping, is not a recent issue and has been a crime for many years.

Failure to remove and dispose of waste within the legislation surrounding the materials can result in fines and criminal prosecution therefore, it is essential to be aware of the guidelines surrounding the waste that you work with.

Waste is often dumped illegally due to a lack of knowledge, resource or understanding what effect waste can have on the environment. Not only can waste dumping become an eyesore, it can also be detrimental to the safety of the environment and those within it’s surrounding areas, particularly should this be hazardous or chemical materials.

There is legislation around the illegal dumping of waste for a reason and so, it should be taken as seriously as any other business activity.

Find out more about how to safely dispose of waste

Waste removal and disposal is a subject we have spoken about many times, particularly when it comes to hazardous materials.

We have worked with many companies to safely and cost-effectively dispose of the hazardous waste they produce, so do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to find out more about how we can help your business.

To speak to a member of our team call our North West office on 0161 799 3337 or speak to our North East team on 01642 618 006 or contact us via our website here.