Knowledge Base

Do clearance companies need a waste carrier licence?

Anyone removing waste from a property for payment must be a registered waste carrier. Executors should check the registration before instructing a firm.

  • Waste taken to licensed transfer stations
  • Careful, discreet crews
  • Itemised inventory for probate
  • Free no-obligation assessment
  • London-wide, 7 days by arrangement

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The rule in plain terms

In England and Wales, a business that transports waste must register with the Environment Agency.

Registration comes in two tiers:

  • Upper tier - for firms that carry other people's waste as their main business. House clearance firms need this.
  • Lower tier - for businesses carrying only their own waste.

Why executors need to care

The duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 follows the waste.

If a property's contents are fly-tipped, the Environment Agency or the council can trace them back. The estate can face enforcement action and costs.

Using a registered carrier, and keeping the paperwork, protects you.

How to check a firm in two minutes

  1. Ask for the waste carrier registration number.
  2. Search the Environment Agency public register.
  3. Check the name matches the company invoicing you.
  4. Check the registration is current, not expired.

If a firm will not give a number, walk away.

Waste transfer notes

For every load, you should get a waste transfer note. It records:

  • A description of the waste
  • The carrier's registration number
  • The date and place of transfer
  • Where the waste was taken

Keep these for at least two years. Two minutes of filing avoids a serious problem later.

Warning signs

Be careful if a firm:

  • Quotes a very low price with no survey
  • Wants cash only and gives no invoice
  • Has no company name on the van
  • Cannot name the transfer station it uses
  • Refuses to give waste transfer notes

Cheap clearances often end with contents dumped in a lane. The estate is then in the frame.

Extra permits for some waste

Certain materials need more than a standard registration:

  • Asbestos, common in old garages and sheds
  • Fridges and freezers, under WEEE rules
  • Chemicals, paints, and gas bottles
  • Clinical waste and sharps

Tell your clearance firm if you have seen any of these.

Our position

We hold upper-tier registration, use licensed transfer stations, and issue waste transfer notes on every job. Ask and we will send our registration number before you commit.

Talk to us

We survey the property, then send a written quote. No fixed price is given before we see the contents.

Call 0794 455 7700 or email info@houseandofficeclearance.co.uk.

Not sure where to start?

We'll walk the property with you, explain what happens to each category of contents, and put it in writing.

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Next step

Speak to someone who has handled probate clearance

Free, no-obligation assessment across Greater London and the M25. At Probate Clearance London, we work to your timescale and to the executor's requirements.

Learn more about probate house clearance