Stalking

Balconies are a great place to relax and enjoy, but it's really important to think about the safety of you, your family (especially young children) and your neighbours.   

Keeping you and your family safe when using a balcony 

• Make sure the balcony door is locked and the keys are hidden when you're not using it. 

• If you have window opening restrictors, please use them. 

• Make sure children are supervised when they are near or on your balcony. 

• Don't allow anyone to lean over, sit or climb on the balcony wall or railing. 

• Never stand on balcony furniture, or try to climb onto another balcony from your balcony. 

• If you have young children, keep your balcony clear of anything they might be able to climb on. 

Preventing balcony fires - know the risks 

• Keep your balcony free from clutter.  Make sure you're not storing anything that could restrict your exit in case of a fire. 

• Never use barbecues (including disposables) on your balcony or store anything flammable eg gas canisters or bags of rubbish. 

• Always ensure cigarettes are put out properly, and never throw ash or cigarette butts over the side.  

Check your balcony regularly to make sure it's safe, and report any damage as soon as possible. 

Safety in communal areas 

It’s important to keep communal areas like hallways and stairwells clear. The safety of our residents is our top priority and part of this is making sure that communal areas are managed correctly so they don’t pose a risk in the event of an emergency. 

Our Estate services and Tenancy management team manage the risks in these areas, but inspections are also carried out regularly by Neighbourhood Officers and Technical Services team. We need to make sure your communal areas are not obstructed and are as safe as they can be. This includes hallways, stairwells, concierge areas, and any area within the building that’s used by multiple people. 

Keeping communal areas clear 

Obstructions in communal areas are hazardous. 

• They obstruct you if you need to make a quick escape, and cause injury 

• They could fuel fire, helping them to spread, and making it harder to extinguish 

• They could obstruct emergency services who need to enter the building 

• They are trip hazards even in non-emergency situations. 

It’s vital that communal areas are kept clear at all times. We may write to you to let you know that your communal area is obstructed, and if these are your items, please remove them right away. This could be bikes, prams, or even a build-up of mail. 

Electric meter cupboards 

If there are any electric meter cupboards in your building, we need to keep them clear too. Filling up these cupboards with items also increases the risk of fire starting and spreading.  

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