Cleaning communal areas with neighbours: how to share it
Updated: 3 days ago
Mud on the stairs, takeaway menus piling up in the hall, a lift that has been sticky for weeks. Cleaning communal areas in flats should be a shared job, yet it always seems to be you holding the mop. In this article, you’ll find out why shared spaces so easily fall through the cracks, how to raise it calmly, which arrangements tend to work and what the rules are for tenants and leaseholders.
Why nobody feels responsible
A stairwell, landing, bin store or lift belongs to everyone, and so it also feels a little like it belongs to no one. Everyone assumes someone else will deal with it. And what looks grubby to you may not even register with your neighbours.
Often something else is going on as well. New residents do not know there was ever an arrangement. Someone works shifts or has limited mobility. Some assume the landlord's cleaner will sort it out. So when neighbours do not help, it does not automatically mean they do not care.
Raise it kindly
Start from the idea that your neighbours probably have not thought about it. Make it a shared topic, not a complaint.
"I've noticed the stairs get dirty quite quickly and I've been doing them myself a lot lately. I don't mind, but it would be nice if we could share it between us. What do you think?"
Small, concrete things to suggest
Keep it simple and start small. For example:
A simple rota. Take turns week by week, with a card you pass on or a shared list.
Split the tasks. One person sweeps the stairs, another tidies the bin store or the entrance.
A regular tidy-up day. Clear the bike store or storage area together twice a year, perhaps with a cup of tea afterwards.
Ask about a cleaning service. If nobody wants to do it, find out together whether the landlord or managing agent could arrange one, and what it would cost each household.
Choose one arrangement to begin with and review it together after a month.
What are the rules?
Do you rent? Your tenancy agreement usually sets out who looks after shared areas. In many blocks, especially with councils and housing associations, the landlord arranges cleaning of communal areas and charges for it through a service charge. In some smaller buildings, residents are expected to keep shared areas tidy themselves. If a paid cleaning service is not being delivered properly, raise it with the landlord first; social housing tenants in England can then go to the Housing Ombudsman if the complaint is not resolved.
Are you a leaseholder? Your lease sets out how the common parts are maintained and paid for, usually through the freeholder or managing agent. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, service charges must be reasonable and the work must be done to a reasonable standard. In England, disputes about service charges can go to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
This is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure about your rights or responsibilities, Citizens Advice, a tenants' or residents' association, or the Leasehold Advisory Service (for leaseholders in England) can help.
Keep a simple log
Is it still not working, even after an agreement? Keep a log for a few weeks. Note the date, the time, what you saw (for example rubbish in the entrance or a dirty lift) and what the effect was, such as a smell or slippery stairs. Do not photograph neighbours or their front doors, and do not post accusations in a group chat.
In practice
Records matter. In a 2024 Housing Ombudsman decision, residents had complained since January 2022 about poor communal cleaning at their block. The landlord's inspections confirmed problems, but it kept little evidence of monitoring and took 101 working days to respond. The Ombudsman found maladministration and ordered an apology, £375 compensation and a review (source). The lesson: a clear, dated record of what you see helps a complaint move forward.
Consistency counts. In another case, a landlord first admitted that cleaning standards were poor, then later described the same standard as reasonable. The Ombudsman ordered a written apology and £350 compensation, although a refund of service charges was not part of the outcome (source). The lesson: calm, specific feedback over time is more effective than one big complaint.
If you cannot sort it out together
Send a second, calm message. Remind neighbours of what you agreed and suggest looking at the rota again.
Contact the landlord, housing association or managing agent. They can remind residents of the rules or look at a cleaning service.
Raise it with the residents' association. Put it on the agenda so there is a shared decision.
A calm first message
The CalmNotes pack for keeping shared areas clean gives you editable example messages to raise the cleaning of stairs, landings or bin stores kindly, with follow-up messages if nothing changes and a log template. You can find more practical packs in our English packs for the UK.
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