Holiday Lets and B&B collections

By law, holiday lets and self-catering accommodation need to pay for a commercial waste collection service. As the property owner, you have a duty of care to ensure waste is correctly stored and legally disposed of at your property.

Under the Environmental Protection Act (1990), all businesses (including those operating from home), must contain and dispose of any waste they produce. The Controlled Waste Regulations (2012) state that holidays lets are classed as commercial waste producers meaning they must pay for waste collections and disposal. This definition applies regardless of whether the premises are liable for business rates or Council Tax.

All commercial waste produced is subject to duty of care this includes:

Making sure waste is stored securely

As per Section 34 of The Environmental Protection Act Waste should be safety secured in such a way to ensure that it is does not cause litter or attract vermin, ideally in waste receptacles.

You can still split your commercial waste into recyclables, non-recyclables and food waste. Duty of Care states you must take all reasonable steps to do so.

Waste Transfer Notices are completed and stored for two years.

Waste transfer notes are documents that will be supplied to you by your registered waste carrier to prove evidence that your properties commercial waste is being legally disposed of. The waste transfer notes must be signed by both parties for it to be valid.

The Environment Agency and the Isle of Wight Council are authorised to check if you are complying with the Duty of Care. This means an officer can come to your premises or write to you and ask to see your waste transfer notes. Failure to provide the documentation could result in enforcement action being taken.

 Make an online application for a commercial waste quotation.

Legislation on GOV.UK covering business rates for self-catering and holiday let accommodation says that if a property is:

• available to let for 140 days or more in the previous and current year
• actually let commercially for 70 days or more in the previous 12 months

it should be rated as a self-catering property and valued for business rates.

Contact Revenue services about the type of rates you should be paying by using the online send a message.