Severe hoarding (level 4-5 on the Clutter Image Rating)
Hoarding disorder is recognised in DSM-5 (300.3) as a distinct mental-health condition. We approach severely hoarded properties — those categorised as level four or five on the Clutter Image Rating scale — with a phased methodology: stabilisation (creating safe access routes), sorting (with the resident wherever possible), deep clearance (over multiple visits), and finally sanitisation. We coordinate with social care and community mental-health teams throughout.
Biohazard contamination
Biohazard situations — unattended deaths, severe rough sleeping contamination, properties involving needles or other sharps, properties with significant blood or bodily fluid spills — require IICRC certification, appropriate PPE, sharps protocols and decontamination products. We are equipped for all of this and carry the certifications to evidence it for environmental health or insurance purposes.
Drug-cultivation aftermath
Properties used for cannabis cultivation often emerge from police action significantly damaged: stripped wiring, holes through walls and ceilings, severe damp from inadequate ventilation, and contamination from chemicals and fertilisers. Specialist clearance of these properties for landlords and lenders is regular work for us. We coordinate with electricians, damp specialists and pest-control contractors as required.
Pest infestation
Bedbugs, cockroaches, rodents, fleas and other serious infestations require an integrated clearance and pest-control response. Removing contents without addressing the infestation simply moves the problem; addressing the infestation without clearance leaves the breeding grounds intact. We can coordinate both in a single project, working with BPCA-registered pest controllers.
Damp, mould and long-term self-neglect
Where a property has been neglected over years and contents have absorbed damp, fed mould growth and become structurally part of the problem, clearance has to happen alongside (or before) any meaningful remedial work to the building. We carry out the contents clearance and brief the building contractor on what is found behind it.
Frequently asked questions
Are you really insured for biohazard work?
Yes — our £5m public liability and £10m employer's liability policies specifically include biohazard and trauma-scene response. Certificates are available on request and supplied as standard for framework agreements.
What if the resident refuses to consent to the work?
We do not enter a property without consent. Where consent is in question, lawful authority must come from an attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney, a court-appointed deputy, or a properly-recorded best-interests decision under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
How long does specialist clearance take?
It varies enormously — from a single biohazard scene that takes us 48 hours, to a severely hoarded property worked over months in phased visits. Each is quoted individually after assessment.
Do you work with environmental health officers?
Yes. Where the property triggers an EHO notice we work to the EHO's standards and timetable. We supply our own written reports for inclusion in the EHO's file.
Can you handle properties where the resident has died and remained undiscovered?
Yes. This is regular work for us, handled under our unattended-death and trauma protocol with full PPE, decontamination, and coordination with police where required.