Direct answer
Wheelie bins for household rubbish and recycling in London are issued and owned by your local council, not by houseclearance.co or any private clearance company - so a missing, stolen, damaged or undersized bin is reported to your council's own online form, not to us. The general pattern across the boroughs we checked is that a council-issued bin stays at the property rather than travelling with a resident who moves, though a bin you bought privately is yours to keep. Exact fees, sizes and reporting routes differ by borough: Kingston, for example, publishes a flat £24 fee for a 180 or 240 litre replacement container, while Ealing's standard bin is 180 litres with a quoted replacement fee of £50. Because these details genuinely differ council to council, this guide sets out the common pattern and the questions to ask, then points you to your own council's page for the figure that actually applies to your address.
Contents
Who actually owns your wheelie bin
A detail that catches a lot of residents out, especially when moving.
It's easy to assume that a wheelie bin sitting outside your house is yours in the same way as any other piece of household kit. In practice, if the council delivered it as part of your waste and recycling service, it almost certainly isn't. The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames states this directly on its own fees page: "All containers provided by us remain the property of the Royal Borough of Kingston." Several other London boroughs use near-identical wording on their own bin pages, making clear that the physical container is council property issued for use at a specific address, not a possession that belongs to whoever happens to be living there at the time.
This matters in a few practical situations: when you move house and wonder whether to take the bin with you, when a bin is damaged and you're not sure if you're liable for the cost, and when you're trying to work out who to even ask about a replacement. The short version is that a council-issued bin is generally the council's asset and the council's responsibility to repair or replace, although some councils pass on a fee for doing so. A bin you bought yourself from a hardware shop or online, separately from any council issue, is a different matter - that one is yours, and you can legitimately take it if you move.
Because this is set borough by borough rather than by a single national rule, the safest approach is to search "[your borough] bins ownership" or check the small print on your own council's bin order or replacement page before assuming a rule you've read somewhere else - including this guide - applies exactly to your address.
Missing, stolen or damaged bins
Report it to your council's own channel, not to a private company.
If your bin has gone missing, been stolen, or is cracked, has a broken lid or snapped wheels, the first step is always your council's own reporting system rather than a generic search result or a private firm claiming to supply council-branded bins. In the London Borough of Bromley, for instance, residents report a missing or damaged bin through the council's own online "Report a problem" portal, selecting the issue type, pinning the location, and describing what's happened. Other boroughs run their own equivalent forms under names like "order or report a bin" or "bin and container services" - the process looks slightly different everywhere, but the principle is the same: go to your own council's website rather than a third party.
Whether you're charged for the replacement depends on the council and sometimes on the circumstances. Some authorities apply a flat fee regardless of cause. Others look at why the bin needs replacing before deciding: Bromley's terms for its garden waste bin service, for example, state that damage from ordinary wear and tear is replaced without charge, but the council reserves the right to investigate suspected damage from misuse or neglect and charge the subscriber in that case. That fault-based approach isn't universal across every council or every bin type, so don't assume a report will automatically be free, and don't assume it will automatically be charged either - check your own council's current policy when you report the problem.
One more thing worth doing before you report a "missing" bin: check whether it's simply been moved by a neighbour, left in the wrong spot by the collection crew, or taken in by someone else on your row by mistake after collection day. A surprising number of "stolen" bin reports turn out to be a bin that ended up a few doors down.
Bin sizes and getting a bigger one
Standard sizes are common across London, but not identical everywhere.
Three sizes come up repeatedly across London boroughs: 180 litres, 240 litres and 360 litres. Ealing Council, for example, issues a 180 litre bin as standard, described as holding roughly four full bin bags, alongside a 360 litre option for larger households, holding roughly seven bags; some of its more recently issued bins are 240 litres. Kingston's fee schedule separately confirms it handles 180 litre, 240 litre and 360 litre containers as its three standard sizes for refuse, recycling and garden waste. The exact sizes used, and which colour is used for which waste stream, vary by borough, so treat these as common examples rather than a fixed London-wide standard.
If your household has grown, includes more occupants than the property was originally set up for, or there's a medical reason generating more waste than a standard bin comfortably holds, most councils will consider issuing a larger bin or an additional one. This is normally requested through an online form or by phone, sometimes with evidence requested for a medical exemption, and sometimes with an extra charge for the bigger container itself. Processing isn't usually instant - plan ahead rather than requesting a larger bin the week before you expect to need it.
What happens when you move house
The bin usually stays - but check before you assume.
Because council-issued bins are generally treated as tied to the property rather than to the resident, the common pattern across the London boroughs we checked is that bins are expected to stay behind for the next occupier when someone moves out, rather than leaving with the departing resident. If you're the one moving out, that usually means leaving the bins at the property in reasonable condition rather than taking them with you - taking a council bin to your new address can leave your old property short and your new one with an unexplained extra container.
If you're moving in and find the bins are missing, damaged, or there simply aren't enough of them for the property, the right step is to contact your new council directly to arrange a replacement or an additional bin, rather than waiting for the previous resident to sort it out after the fact. Give yourself a bit of lead time where you can: council processing for a new or replacement bin isn't always same-week, so it's worth raising it as soon as you know your move-in date rather than discovering the gap on your first collection day.
This is a general pattern, not a guaranteed rule for every single London borough - a small number of councils or specific property types (flats on a communal bin store, for example) may handle this differently. If you're not sure, your own council's waste and recycling pages, or a quick call to their customer service line, will confirm the position for your specific address.
Household bins versus commercial waste
A different service, with different rules and a different bill.
Everything above applies to household wheelie bins at residential properties, collected under your council's domestic waste service - a service that's usually free at the point of collection, aside from any container fees. If you're running a business from a property, letting it out commercially, or clearing a shop, office or other non-residential space, that's a different arrangement entirely. Businesses generally need a separate trade waste contract, either through the council's own commercial waste arm or a private, licensed waste carrier, and pay for collection as an ongoing service rather than relying on the household bin round. Putting commercial waste out in a household bin is something councils actively look out for and can refuse to collect, so it's not a workaround worth relying on.
If that's closer to your situation, our commercial & retail clearance page covers clearing a business property rather than a household bin query.
Bin scenarios at a glance
Who to contact and what to expect, by situation - figures vary by council, so use these as examples rather than guaranteed numbers for your address.
| Option or job scenario | What it includes | Main restriction | What to confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing or stolen bin | Online report to your council; replacement container issued if approved | Reporting route and evidence needed differ by council (e.g. Bromley uses its own "Report a problem" portal) | Whether a fee applies, and current turnaround time |
| Damaged bin (cracked body, broken lid, snapped wheels) | Repair or replacement arranged by the council that issued it | Some councils replace wear-and-tear damage free but charge for suspected misuse (as Bromley's garden bin terms describe) | Whether your council treats this as free or chargeable for your situation |
| Bin too small for the household | Request for a larger bin (e.g. 240L or 360L) or an additional container | May require evidence of household size or medical need; processing can take several weeks | Whether a larger bin carries its own fee at your council |
| Moving into a property with no bins or damaged bins | New bin request from your new council | Bins are generally expected to be left by the outgoing resident, not brought by the new one | How quickly your new council can deliver before your first collection day |
| Moving out of a property | Leaving existing bins at the property for the next occupier | Taking a council-issued bin with you can breach the terms it was issued under | Whether any bin at the property was privately bought rather than council-issued |
| Business or commercial waste | Separate trade waste contract via the council's commercial arm or a licensed carrier | Not covered by the household bin round; councils can refuse to empty a household bin used for trade waste | Contract terms, collection frequency and cost with your chosen provider |
| Whole-property clearance (not a bin query) | Licensed clearance carrier collects furniture, bulky items and accumulated belongings directly from the property | Not a council bin service - a separate, quoted job | Access, volume of items and timing with the carrier you choose |
Figures and processes above are drawn from named councils' own published pages as examples - always check your own council's current page before relying on a specific fee or timeframe.
When a bin problem is really a clearance job
A wheelie bin is built for ongoing weekly waste, not a one-off clear-out.
A council bin, even a larger one, is designed for the steady weekly or fortnightly rubbish and recycling a household produces - it isn't built to absorb the sudden volume that comes from downsizing, clearing a relative's property, or getting a flat ready to let or sell. If you've found yourself here because your bin situation is really a symptom of a bigger clear-out - too much furniture, white goods, or years of accumulated belongings that no bin round could realistically handle - that's a different job from the ones this guide covers.
For that kind of job, a licensed clearance carrier collecting directly from the property is the practical route rather than waiting on bin collections or multiple car trips. Our house clearance checklist sets out how to prepare a property before a carrier arrives, and if the clear-out is part of downsizing specifically, our downsizing house clearance planning guide walks through planning that kind of move from further out.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most often about wheelie bin ownership, replacement and moving house.
Who owns my wheelie bin - me or the council?
In most London boroughs, the wheelie bin issued to your property belongs to the council, not to you personally. The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames states plainly on its own fees page that "all containers provided by us remain the property" of the council, and several other boroughs use similar wording. That generally means the bin is expected to stay at the property if you move, rather than travel with you to your next address - though a bin you bought privately, separately from a council issue, is yours to take. Check your own council's bins page to confirm the position where you live.
What do I do if my wheelie bin is missing, stolen or damaged?
Report it to your council, not to us or to a private contractor. Most London councils handle this through an online form on their own website - for example, Bromley residents report a missing or damaged bin through the council's "Report a problem" portal, giving the address, bin type and what's happened. Search "[your borough] report damaged bin" or "[your borough] report missing bin" to find your council's own form, since the exact page and reporting process differs between boroughs.
Will I be charged for a replacement wheelie bin?
It depends on your council and sometimes on why the bin needs replacing. Some councils charge a flat fee regardless of cause - Kingston, for example, publishes a fee of £24 for a 180 or 240 litre container and £38 for a 360 litre container. Others waive the charge for genuine wear and tear but can charge if damage looks like misuse or neglect, which is the approach Bromley takes with its garden waste bins. Because the fee, and whether one applies at all, varies by council and by circumstance, check your own council's current charges before assuming a figure quoted elsewhere still applies.
What size wheelie bins are used in London and can I get a bigger one?
Sizes vary by council and by bin type, but 180 litre, 240 litre and 360 litre bins are all in common use across London boroughs. Ealing, for instance, issues a 180 litre standard rubbish bin (roughly four full bin bags) and a 360 litre bin (roughly seven bags) for larger needs, alongside newer 240 litre containers for some rounds. Most councils will consider a larger bin for a larger household or a medical need, usually applied for online or by phone, sometimes with an extra charge for the bigger container.
What happens to the bins when I move house?
The general pattern across London boroughs is that council-issued bins stay at the property, for whoever moves in next, rather than leaving with the outgoing resident. If you're moving out, the expectation is usually that you leave the bins behind in reasonable condition. If you're moving in and the bins are missing, damaged, or there simply aren't enough for the property, you contact the council to sort out a replacement or an additional container, rather than assuming the previous resident will bring theirs back.
My household needs a bigger bin or an extra bin - how do I ask for one?
Most councils have an online request form for an additional or larger bin, usually asking for your address, the reason (household size, number of occupants, medical need, or a change of circumstances such as a new baby), and sometimes evidence. Processing times vary; some councils can take several weeks to review, approve and deliver a new container, so it is worth applying as soon as you know you need one rather than waiting until bin day becomes a problem.
Is a commercial or trade bin the same as a council wheelie bin?
No. Council-issued wheelie bins are for household waste from residential properties and are collected under the council's domestic waste service, usually free at the point of collection (aside from any container fees). A business - including a shop, office or landlord letting a property commercially - generally needs a separate trade waste contract, either with the council's commercial arm or a private licensed waste carrier, and pays for that collection. If you're clearing a business property rather than asking about a household bin, our guide to commercial and retail clearance covers that separately.
Clearing a whole property, not just a bin problem?
If what you're really facing is a full house, flat or office clear-out rather than a council bin query, post your job for licensed carriers to quote on.
Request clearance quotes