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Recycling collection days are changing

We are changing the recycling collection days from 8 April 2019.

If you live in a house or receive a weekly collection from your front door you will receive a letter notifying you of your new collection day. Please note, letters will only be sent to those properties affected

The new schedule will be available on the waste collection page. Find out more about the changes.


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Pest control

To contact Pest Control please call the Customer Contact Centre on 020 7364 5000, weekdays 9am to 5pm.

Our service is available to residents and businesses for advice about how to get rid of insects, rodents or other potential health hazards. We have effective treatments for certain types of pests and can help with identifying pests and information about what to do. We will come to your home and treat any infestations of rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs and pharaoh ants.

We can investigate complaints about fouling from pigeons and arrange through landlords to carry out proofing measures if deemed to be necessary. We also deal with fleas and wasps.

We provide pest control services for schools, nurseries, community centres, places of worship and registered charities. One of our Pest Control team will discuss your needs and provide a price for this service.

We are increasing our commercial pest control work for non-food businesses in the borough. Any businesses interested in our services should email us on pest.control@towerhamlets.gov.uk or contact the customer contact centre who will pass calls to the pest control team.

Information about each type of pest:

Charges for residents in the borough

the following charges apply for different treatments and are inclusive of VAT :

  • Bed-bugs in a family home - £179.35 per treatment
  • Bed-bugs in a Home In Multiple Occupation - price on application by the landlord
  • Cockroaches - £122.50 for three visits 
  • Fleas - £67.73 per visit
  • Mice - £122.50 for three visits
  • Pharaoh ants - £122.50 for three visits
  • Wasps - £67.73 per visit
  • Black (garden) ants - £67.73 per visit

All services are still free for all state pensioners who live on their own or with another pensioner. You will need to show proof when we visit.

The service to deal with any rat infestation is free to all Tower Hamlets residents, whether the rat is in a dwelling, garden or other residential outdoor area.

Our contracts with some Registered Providers

Services are provided at no direct cost to tenants and leaseholders of these registered providers:

  • Tower Hamlets Homes
  • ARHAG Housing Association.
  • Belgrave Street Housing Co-operative, odd numbers 13 to 49 Belgrave Street, E1
  • East End Homes
  • One Housing Group (Island region residents only)
  • One Support residents at John Sinclair Court, 36 Thrawl Street, E1 6RN
  • Poplar HARCA (Services are only for tenants of Poplar HARCA. Leaseholders will be charged for our services)
  • Providence Row Housing Association
  • Spitalfields Housing Association
  • Wilfred East London Housing Cooperative  residents at 1 – 95  Corbin House, Bromley High Street, E3 3BQ

If you are a resident of one of the above Registered Providers then we will treat the following pests:

  • bed-bugs;
  • cockroaches;
  • fleas;
  • mice;
  • pharaoh ants/ghost ants;
  • wasps.

People who live in property owned or managed by any other registered provider can use our services but will have to pay us directly, unless a state pensioner lives alone at the address or the pest to be treated is a rat.

People who live in property which is privately owned or privately rented will have to pay us directly for our services, unless a state pensioner lives at the address or the pest to be treated is a rat.

Alternatively, people in these properties can contact their landlord directly in the event of a pest infestation. If your landlord refuses to provide treatment you can contact Environmental Health on 020 7364 5000.

Payment must be made when you phone us to make an appointment. You can pay with most major credit or debit cards (not Diners Card or American Express).

Please note that for mice, cockroaches, and pharaoh ants if an infestation continues after the course of treatments you have paid for, then a further payment will be required before additional treatment is carried out.

If flea or wasp activity is still a problem seven days after the initial treatment a further visit will be made, this will be free of charge.

If bed bug activity is still a problem three weeks after the initial treatment, then a further visit will be made free of charge.

Landlords of houses in multiple occupation with bed bug infestations

The council will only treat Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for bed bugs if the service is requested and paid for by the landlord.

One of our pest control team will discuss your needs and provide a price for this service.

The definition of HMO is complex, but includes amongst others:

  • A house which is occupied by three or more unrelated persons, who do not form a single household

Our service to you

We will:

  • Make sure that someone is available to take calls between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.
  • Respond to your request by providing a morning or afternoon appointment
  • Investigate the cause of the pest infestation you are suffering
  • Put in place a quality controlled treatment system aimed at eradicating the pest from your premises, and continue treatment until the pest is eliminated
  • Provide safety information about the pest treatment used in your premises when necessary
  • Offer advice on any actions possible and timescales involved where practical

In return, we ask that you:

  • Contact us with at least 48 hours notice if you know you can't keep an appointment. We may be able to give it to someone on our waiting list, whilst offering you another appointment
  • Report the pest problem to us as soon as you can, as it may reduce the time it takes us to rid you of the pest
    If the pest problem comes back after the treatment is finished, let us know as soon as you can
  • Tell the pest control officer who visits you as much about the problem as you can recall
  • Follow the advice or instructions given to you by the pest control officer investigating or treating the pest problem
  • Contact us in response to the pest control officer leaving a letter at your home when you were unable to keep an appointment ( if you have paid for treatment but are not in on the day and time of your appointment we regret that no refund can be made)
  • Accept that investigating and treating can take time

Contact us

Your first point of contact for the Environmental Health Service is through our Customer Contact Centre, where we have trained and experienced operators ready to listen to your concerns, make an appointment and give you the information you need.

We are available to take your calls from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday on: 020 7364 5000.

If you have any questions about pests or our service, please email us at pest.control@towerhamlets.gov.uk  

Please note that appointments can only be made over the phone.