Do we have to pay for new bins even if the house never had any when we moved in?

simmed

We moved into this house a few weeks ago

It doesn't have any rubbish bins (neither recycling nor general)

Council website says £20 to replace each bin, money we don't have

What do we do..?

Uniscots97

explain you've just moved in and there aren't any and if there were then the previous residents must have taken them.

Popperwell

Ask, you've nothing to lose. Ours were supplied to us even when new types of collections were started. At worst they'll say the charge has to be.

If you explain that there were none when you moved in I would hope they will supply them free of charge. Or allow you to buy them over a period of time...after all you have to get rid of rubbish.

mazza111

Previous tenant in this house took ours, quick call to the council and they replaced them FOC.

fuddle

Each council is different and charge different amounts.

Do you rent or is the house mortgaged? If rented, is it in your tenancy agreement that the bins are provided? If not, you will have to pay.

Mortgaged house you will have to pay even if the bins have been lost/stolen/removed from property by previous owners.

Newly developed house. Builders could get the bins in for you but they are not obliged to.

All that is what our council says, yours may be different.

They changed the rules in July. Each bin has to be paid for now.

ragz_2

that won't apply if you have just moved in, your council tax pays for bins (you don't own them, the council do). Charges are for if you lose/break/take them.

Phoolgrrrl

In our council area you do own them. Previous people to us took thiers and we replaced them. £20 is cheap, £40+ here. Recycling bins were free.
We have had our bins set on fire, whole street did, fire brigade were out and everything. Council didn't replace for free, we had to pay even though not our fault.
Before we got the bin delivered we had to take bags to the dump at the weekend.

fuddle

Hi ragz. The council don't supply the bins here any more, even for brand new properties. All new and replacement bins have to be paid for by the person homeowner/tenant and refuasal to pay or buy a bin of the same size/colour elsewhere meeting their standards with result in a Section 46 notice under the Environmental Protection Action 1990.

Like I say, this is our council but I do know as I'm about to move in to a new build and have researched whether our bins will be there or not.

redlady_1

I had to pay £40 for my bin when I moved. However, when it was then damaged by the collectors I kicked off with the council and put in an official complaint that I was not prepared to pay another £40 because of their negligence. Needless to say it was replaced free of charge.

Might be worth a go on the complaint procedure?

theoretica

Our bin men will pick up recycling even when it isn't in the 'official' boxes. Clearly that wouldn't work with bins that get lifted up and emptied by the lorry.

lilrahi

Birmingham council don't provide bins, every 6 months they leave a roll of black bags and roll of garden waste bags. Needless to say, we always have to supplement these, even though I recycle everything (recycling boxes are free, including replacements).

The council just leave them on the doorstep with no prior notice. If you don't wake up early, sometimes they get nicked although on my street that's not much of an issue because we have a front garden. My SIL never has any bags because they're always stolen, her front door in right on the pavement.

When my next door was empty, I always used to take their bags.