Landlords and managing agents
Overview
As a landlord or Managing Agent you have a legal duty to provide all new tenants with adequate bins and information about recycling and rubbish collections, under The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Regulations.
What your tenants should know
- How to find out about and keep up to date with their bin day by using the bin day lookup tool.
- What goes in each bin.
- What to do if a bin is missed on collection day.
- How to present bins for collection.
At the end of a tenancy, you should also make sure your tenants take responsibility for managing their waste appropriately. You may be charged for having any contaminated bins emptied.
We can provide information to help you remind your tenants about their legal duties - contact us if you want to know more.
Making sure tenants have the correct bins
In Derby, we currently have a three-bin systems:
- Blue bins are for household recycling.
- Brown bins are for garden and food waste.
- Black bins are for any residual waste that cannot be recycled in the blue or brown bin.
From 31 March 2026, we will have a fourth bin for Food Waste only. Visit our new green container - food waste page for more information.
If you think the property has insufficient bin capacity, needs replacement bins or the tenants would like additional blue or brown recycling bins, you can request these online.
Additional waste
If your tenants have additional waste, they can book a visit to Raynesway HWRC or book a bulky waste collection depending on the item.
If the unwanted items are good quality, they could be sold, given to the Reuse Raynesway shop, or donated to charities.
Communal properties
If you have tenants that live in flats, apartments, or HMOs, they will likely share their bins.
We offer reusable recycling bags to tenants in communal properties to help transport recyclables from their properties to their recycling bins. We can also provide bespoke leaflets, stickers and signage for bins at any of your communal properties - contact us if you require any of these.
The Council provide bins for communal properties on a case-by-case basis.
Bins will vary from large containers to wheelie bins or a combination of both. To help reduce contaminated bins at flats and HMOS, we offer lockable aperture blue bins for recycling. These have a small opening in the lid to prevent tenants using them for large or bulky items. You can order and pay for aperture bins online.
Prices for specialist bins for flats and HMOs
| Size and guide | Price |
|---|---|
| 1100 litre and 660 litre (black and blue) | £450 |
| 360 litre - black | £110 |
| 360 litre aperture with gravity lock - blue | £90 |
| 240 litre aperture with gravity lock blue | £80 |
| 240 litre and 140 litre (blue, black and brown) | £25.75 |
Damaged or lost bins
Replacements for lost or damaged bins can be ordered online.
There is a £25.75 charge to replace a standard black bin, which covers administration and delivery costs.
To help prevent bins from being lost or damaged, we recommend:
- clearly marking bins with the property number or name
- keeping bins off the street except on collection days.
Contaminated, overloaded bins and dumped waste
Bins containing the wrong items or filled beyond their capacity will not be emptied.
If a bin cannot be emptied due to contamination, overloading or excess waste, a notice will be left. Any excess or uncollected waste must be removed at your own expense.
When tenants move out, landlords or managing agents cannot dispose of leftover waste at Raynesway HWRC, as this is classed as trade waste. You can request a quote for a one-off commercial waste collection.
It is your legal responsibility to ensure tenants receive the correct information and follow it, using their bins properly and arranging suitable disposal for excess or bulky items.
Holiday lets and self-catering accommodation
By law, holiday lets and self-catering accommodation are not allowed to use our household bin collection service.
The Controlled Waste Regulations set out how councils must deal with waste from holiday lets and self-catering accommodation.
This legislation says that these premises are businesses and should pay for a business waste service, including collection and disposal charges.
This definition applies regardless of whether the premises are liable for business rates or Council Tax.
You can find all information and a complete table explaining how waste should be treated in accordance to how it was produced in The Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012.
If you are unsure of your legal obligations, contact us to ensure you have the appropriate arrangements in place.