Our service standards

• High rise blocks (5 floors or more): Landings, hallways, staircases, lifts, bin rooms, communal toilets, entrances/exits and lobby areas.
• Large low rise blocks (18 flats or more): Landings, hallways, staircases, lifts, bin rooms, communal toilets, entrances/exits and lobby areas.
• Small low rise blocks (17 flats or fewer): Landings, hallways, staircases, lifts, bin rooms, communal toilets, entrances/exits and lobby areas.
• Wellbeing schemes (for over 55s): Landings, hallways, staircases, lifts, bin rooms, communal lounges/kitchens and toilets, mobility scooter storage areas, entrances/exits and lobby areas.

The frequency of cleaning depends on the type of building you live in. Where applicable:

High rise blocks (5 floors or more):

• Landings, hallways, and staircases: Cleaned daily.
• Lifts: Cleaned daily.
• Bin rooms: Cleaned daily.
• Communal kitchens and toilets: Cleaned weekly and daily respectively.
• Entrances/exits and lobby areas: Cleaned daily.
• Deep clean: Annually.

Large low rise blocks (18 flats or more):

• Landings, hallways, and staircases: Cleaned weekly.
• Lifts: Cleaned daily.
• Bin rooms: Cleaned daily.
• Communal kitchens and toilets: Cleaned weekly and daily respectively.
• Entrances/exits and lobby areas: Cleaned daily.
• Deep clean: Annually.

Small low rise blocks (17 flats or fewer):

• Landings, hallways, and staircases: Cleaned weekly.
• Lifts: Cleaned weekly.
• Bin rooms: Cleaned weekly.
• Communal kitchens and toilets: Cleaned weekly.
• Entrances/exits and lobby areas: Cleaned weekly.
• Deep clean: Annually.

Wellbeing schemes (for over 55s):

• Landings, hallways, and staircases: Cleaned daily.
• Lifts: Cleaned daily.
• Bin rooms: Cleaned weekly.
• Communal lounges/kitchens/toilets: Cleaned daily.
• Cinema/TV rooms: Cleaned daily.
• Kitchens: Cleaned daily.
• Mobility scooter storage areas: Cleaned daily.
• Entrances/exits and lobby areas: Cleaned daily.
• Shared spaces: Cleaned daily.
• Deep clean: Annually.

External communal areas are cleaned regularly. The frequency of cleaning depends on the type of building you live in. Where applicable:

High rise blocks (5 floors or more):

• Entrances, exits, porches, and steps: Cleaned daily.
• Bin stores: Cleaned daily.
• Gutters, gullies and drains: Cleaned weekly.

Large low rise blocks (18 flats or more):

• Entrances, exits, porches, and steps: Cleaned daily.
• Bin stores: Cleaned daily.
• Gutters, gullies and drains: Cleaned weekly.

Small low rise blocks (17 flats or fewer):

• Entrances, exits, porches, and steps: Cleaned weekly.
• Bin stores: Cleaned weekly.
• Gutters, gullies and drains: Cleaned monthly.

Wellbeing schemes (for over 55s): Entrances, exits, porches, and steps: Cleaned daily.

• Bin stores: Cleaned weekly.
• Gutters, gullies and drains: Cleaned monthly.

A deep clean is a thorough, intensive cleaning of all communal areas, carried out annually across all whg blocks. This includes steam cleaning carpets, polishing hard floors and thoroughly cleaning walls and ceilings.

Lifts are cleaned thoroughly, including floors, walls, ceilings, control panels and external surfaces. Any damage or problems with lifts are reported to whg.

High rise blocks (5 floors or more): daily.

Large low rise blocks (18 flats or more): daily.

Small low rise blocks (17 flats or fewer): weekly.

Wellbeing schemes (for over 55s): daily.

The frequency of cleaning depends on the type of building you live in. Where applicable:

High rise blocks (5 floors or more): Hard floors are vacuumed or swept daily. Carpets are spot-cleaned regularly.

Large low rise blocks (18 flats or more): Hard floors are vacuumed or swept daily. Carpets are spot-cleaned regularly.

Small low rise blocks (17 flats or fewer): Hard floors are vacuumed or swept weekly. Carpets are spot-cleaned regularly.

Wellbeing schemes: Hard floors are vacuumed or swept daily. Carpets are spot-cleaned regularly.

The frequency of cleaning depends on the type of building you live in. Where applicable:

High rise blocks (5 floors or more): Communal kitchens are cleaned weekly, and toilets are cleaned daily.

Small low rise blocks (17 flats or fewer): Communal kitchens are cleaned weekly, and toilets are cleaned weekly.

Wellbeing schemes (for over 55s): Communal kitchens are cleaned daily, and toilets are cleaned daily.

Any waste, litter and debris in communal areas is removed regularly, with hazardous waste disposed of safely. Any fly-tipping is reported for removal. Depending on your building type, this happens:

High rise blocks (5 floors or more): daily.

Large low rise blocks (18 flats or more): daily.

Small low rise blocks (17 flats or fewer): weekly.Wellbeing schemes (for over 55s): daily.

If you spot a cleaning concern, please report it to whg by contacting us or talking to a colleague. We will arrange for the necessary action to be taken. Or you can follow the information given on your communal noticeboard, if your block has one.

Essential cleaning services such as bin rotations in high-rise blocks continue on weekends and bank holidays to prevent waste blockages and overflows.

Our team uses appropriate warning signs (e.g., “Cleaning in Progress” and “Wet Floor”) and ensures trailing cables don’t pose a trip hazard.

We’re committed to sustainable practices and reducing environmental impact. Our contractors use approved cleaning products that minimise harm to the environment.

During summer (March to November), our service includes:

• Cutting and collecting grass on standard areas to a height of between 15mm and 25mm after each cut.
• Maintaining wildflower meadow areas by cutting twice a year, with clippings collected.
• Trimming planted areas up to 4 times a year, removing trimmings and keeping beds free of weeds.
• Trimming hedges up to 3 times a year, avoiding nesting bird season (February to August).
• Maintaining paths and hard surfaces every two weeks, removing weeds, debris and litter.

During winter (November to March), our service includes:

• Neatly edging grass areas next to hard surfaces and planted areas.
• Winter pruning of planted areas and hedges, removing prunings.
• Maintaining paths and hard surfaces every two weeks, removing weeds, debris and litter.
• Regularly removing leaves to avoid large build-ups.

Our Neighbourhood Services Team monitor our maintenance contractors using the following standards:

• Below Average: Fails to meet the standard, urgent action is required
• Average: Partially meets the standard, prompt action is required
• Good: Largely meets the standard
• Excellent: Fully meets the standard

If you have any issues or feedback about the grounds maintenance service, please contact us in the first instance. Your input helps us maintain high standards and improve our service. Or you can email Glendale directly on their dedicated email address: walsallhousing@glendale-services.co.uk

In areas covered by our grounds maintenance service, grass areas are cut regularly to a height of between 15mm and 25mm after each cut, with frequency adjusted throughout the year.

Grass is cut up to 20 times between March and November, reflecting the longer growing season and helping shared spaces stay tidy throughout the year.

We use a cut and collect approach, so grass clippings are removed rather than left behind. This reduces build up and keeps communal areas looking neat and well cared for, and helps the grass stay healthier.

Paths and hard surfaces are treated a minimum of 16 times throughout the year.

Hedges covered by our grounds maintenance service are trimmed up to 3 times a year avoiding nesting bird season (February to August) to maintain shape and prevent excessive growth. Trimmings are removed, and hedge bases are kept free of litter and weeds.

Wildflower meadow areas covered by our grounds maintenance service are cut twice a year, depending on wildflower growth, with clippings collected. Margins are mowed around meadows at the same time as standard grass areas.