As part of your tenancy or leaseholder agreement, you’re responsible for keeping your own private garden tidy and cared for. Trees in your garden are also your responsibility, but there are some exceptions. Please check with us first if you have concerns about the trees you have, and our Tree Officers will come and take a look.
It is the responsibility of YHG to maintain the communal gardens. This is done either by an inhouse grounds maintenance team or subcontractors. Trees maintenance is not included in the responsibilities of the grounds maintenance teams, however this is still the responsibility of YHG and is managed separately by YHG Tree Officers. You can view the grounds maintenance programme of works here.
Bird nesting season officially runs from February to August. It’s recommended that tree and hedge cutting should be done outside of the nesting season. However, in reality the nesting period may start earlier and run for longer. Please bear this in mind if you need to prune the trees in your garden.
We’re responsible for looking after trees in communal areas. As a responsible landlord, we must also avoid disrupting nesting birds. This would be an infringement of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and a breach of the European Habitats Directive 1992/Nesting Birds Directive.
When tree maintenance needs to be done during the nesting season, a survey will be carried out by our contractors before any work is considered or started. We’ll postpone work if we find any nesting birds. In the unlikely event that we’ve missed a nest and we come across one, we’ll stop work and return once the chicks have fledged.
An old nest that’s no longer being used is not protected by law.
Tree works
We have designated Tree Officers who survey trees in communal areas. They complete risk assessments on trees and arrange for maintenance works to be carried out. Works on trees will not be carried out for the following reasons: trees blocking light; leaf/blossom/fruit or sap fall; satellite or communication reception blocks; bird droppings or insect/wildlife issues. Please read the YHG tree policy here for further details.
Coppicing trees
We also carry out coppicing when needed but not on a seasonal basis. This is a woodland management technique of felling trees at the base and allowing them to regrow and protect flora and fauna such as hedgehogs and bluebells. It also allows us to assess our trees. Coppicing usually takes place between November and February to ensure the birds are not nesting and the leaves have fallen.
Trees causing damage to your property or another YHG property
We'd attend to a tree if it was damaging our housing stock and would require details of the type of extent of the potential structural damage before attending.
If a tree or any part of a tree has fallen or is at immediate risk of falling on to any YHG property, please call Your Response on 0345 345 0272 or submit the form below with supporting photographs.We look after thousands of trees across our neighbourhoods.
Trees make our communities greener, cooler and healthier, but we know they can sometimes cause concerns.
Customers sometimes ask:
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Why is that tree so close to my building?
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Why can’t you just cut those branches back?
Tree work needs careful planning. Trees grow in specific ways and cutting them without understanding this can cause long‑term problems.
How trees grow
Trees do not stretch as they grow. They only grow from the tips of their branches and roots.
This means:
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Cutting a tree hard does not stop it growing
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Heavy pruning often causes faster, bushier regrowth
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This can lead to more shade and ongoing issues
When we prune a tree, we think about how it will grow in the future, not just how it looks on the day.
Why pruning must be done carefully
Every cut affects a tree. If too much is removed, the tree becomes stressed and weaker.
To keep trees safe:
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We follow national tree‑care standards
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We limit how much is removed at one time
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We cut in ways that reduce the risk of disease and falling branches
This helps protect customers, buildings and the tree itself.
Reasons we don't prune trees
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Blocking natural light
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Leaf/blossom/sap/fruit/bird dropping/nuts/berries fall
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Wildlife and insects
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Satellite TV and Other Communications Reception Blocked by Trees
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Personal medical reasons
What happens underground is just as important
Most of a tree’s life is below ground. Roots need air, water and space to stay healthy.
Heavy foot traffic or parked vehicles can compact the soil. This makes it harder for roots to breathe and weakens the tree over time.
Where needed, we use specialist techniques to:
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Improve soil conditions
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Protect roots from damage
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Support stronger, safer trees
Why we manage trees instead of removing them
Some trees, such as London Plane trees, are very well suited to towns and cities.
They can be messy at certain times of year, but they also:
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Reduce flooding
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Cool buildings and streets
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Improve air quality
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Make neighbourhoods more pleasant places to live
Removing healthy trees would make our neighbourhoods hotter and less resilient. Instead, we manage them, so they remain safe, healthy and the right size for their location.
What if I'm worried about a tree?
If you are concerned about a tree near your home, please email: [email protected] and include photos if possible.
This might include:
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A tree that looks damaged or unstable
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Branches close to buildings
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Changes you are worried about
If needed, a tree officer will inspect the tree and recommend the safest solution.
Our aim is to look after people and places together - keeping you safe while protecting the trees that support healthy neighbourhoods.
It’s our responsibility to clean corridors, staircases, landings, lifts, communal kitchens, bin areas, porches and rubbish chute rooms (not including the chutes). You can view cleaning and window cleaning programmes here, or check out the public noticeboards where you live.
Fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish or waste. This includes items like cardboard, mattresses, furniture, carpets, and bags of rubbish. We take fly-tipping incidents very seriously at Your Housing Group (YHG).