'Free' mistake that can land householders with £500 'or more' fine

Householders who think they are doing a good turn to others might find they are making an an expensive mistake, it has been warned. for getting it wrong can cost them an on the spot fine of £500 - or even up to a staggering £50,000 depending on the circumstances.

Figures show that local authorities across England issued 69,000 fixed penalty notices for fly tipping during the 2024/25 financial year as well as securing 1,250 court fines - the majority as a result of household waste. But according to waste experts Rainbow Rubbish Removals many people might not realise they are making the mistake until it is too late.

Rushcliffe Borough Council is one of many local authorities which have warned that leaving an item such as a sofa or other piece of furniture outside your home with a sign offering it to somebody "free" can have serious financial consequences. While fines vary across the country, it said those in its part of Nottingham who breach the rules are "at risk of receiving a £500 fine for fly-tipping".

It previously warned: "Leaving household items in these places can be classed as fly-tipping and could result in a fixed penalty notice, even if the intention is to freecycle. All unwanted waste, such as furniture, white goods, garden refuse and rubbish bags must be stored on the property of the owner or in a skip that is licensed to be in a public area before ensuring it is disposed of lawfully."

Now Rainbow Rubbish Removals founder, Miroslav Radov has set out a number of other occasions where people might not realise they are breaking the law and running a financial risk. And they warned the true cost could soon be much higher after an annoucement this summer of a change in the law which means councils can fine up to £5,000 for the offence.

Miroslav also warned paying someone to clear your rubbish might not save you as households have a legal responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure their waste is passed to an authorised person. That means simply paying someone to take an unwanted sofa, mattress or pile of rubbish away does not necessarily remove your responsibility for what happens to it.

One of the biggest mistakes can happen before the rubbish has even left your home, Miroslav warned. He said: "Someone offering to take away a sofa, mattress or garage full of rubbish for a cheap cash price can seem convenient, but you need to know who you are handing your waste to.

"Householders have a duty of care when disposing of their waste. If your rubbish is later found dumped illegally and traced back to you, you may be asked to show that you took reasonable steps to make sure the person collecting it was authorised.

"Before agreeing to a collection, check who you are dealing with and whether they are authorised to carry waste. I’d also recommend keeping the business details and a receipt where possible.”

In England, breaching the household waste duty of care can currently result in a fixed penalty notice of up to £600.

Putting an unwanted sofa, chair or mattress outside and adding a "free" sign might feel very different from deliberately dumping it.