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Adele Marsh

What is a Hoarding Tenancy Sustainment Package?

Updated: Oct 26, 2023




If you're reading this, then you are probably a landlord or a patch manager with a social housing association. It's likely you've landed here because you've been made aware that you have a hoarder as a tenant and you're not sure what can be done.


Every day with help Tenants and Landlords come to an agreement about how to clear up a hoarded home and prevent the tenant from being evicted. We call this a 'Tenancy Sustainment Package'


We help clients suffering from extreme disorganisation or hoarding disorders to regain control of their lives and become more responsible and contribute to society. We help them become better tenants, neighbours and give back to the community. This flexible approach considers the particular circumstances of each case to ensure that the most effective approach is used.


We devise practical, low-cost solutions for Tenants, Landlords, Homeowners and Housing Associations to deal with the underlying mental health and addiction issues that often surround the hoarder or person in extreme disorganisation. We work with Environmental Health departments by direct referrals or complaints from neighbours.


We aim to collaborate successfully in a multi-agency approach to tackle the anti-social behaviour of hoarding. We help homeowners and self-funded applicants with individually tailored packages, but we are particularly focused on helping social housing tenants with our low-cost Tenancy Sustainment Package thereby avoiding eviction and the escalating costs across multiple agencies when eviction is actioned.


Hoarding can manifest itself differently and one of the difficulties is determining an individual’s self-awareness of the hoarding problem. Many of our clients are aware of the issue but have feelings of extreme embarrassment. Some are very defiant about it and others do not acknowledge there is a problem at all.



What is the aim of a Tenancy Sustainment Package?

  1. To prevent the premature ending of a tenancy by providing the necessary information, advice and support for tenants with Extreme Disorganisation and Hoarding Disorders to be able to maintain their tenancies

  2. To encourage tenancy sustainment, recognising certain conditions are required including the property meeting the needs of the tenant, the tenant having the ability to maintain their tenancy and for the tenant to meet their responsibilities as the occupier of the home.

  3. To provide regular Therapeutic Cleaning services (aiding with decluttering & cleaning)

  4. To advising Landlords of issues identified in the home relating safety and maintenance issues.

  5. To ensure these properties remain homes to the tenants, encouraging them to stay in them, by providing ongoing support with their organising and cleaning requirements.

  6. To recognise that the cost of a failed tenancy can be high for both tenant and Landlord. Every failed tenancy represents additional resources in the allocation and lettings procedure, as well as possible additional costs resulting from: Rent and service charge loss during void period , Costs incurred in preparing the property for re-letting including advertising, Staff resources associated with the lettings and eviction/abandonment procedures, Legal costs, tThe costs incurred by other organisations who subsequently take responsibility for accommodating the former tenant.

  7. To recognise the difficulties within communities due to antisocial behaviour, to which Hoarding and Extreme Disorganisation can contribute.]

  8. To reduce the need for authorities such as Social Services, the Fire Authority and Environmental Health to intervene as we work with the hoarder to raise their awareness of the seriousness of their hoarding in a legal context. Most hoarders are not aware that their hoarding may result in a protracted legal process where they may lose their children, animals, home and in some circumstances be prosecuted, fined and/or imprisoned.

  9. To maintain regular, personal and sustained contact with ‘at risk’ householders and work in partnership with specialist support agencies working with vulnerable client groups as well as the statutory authorities.


What can a Hoarding Tenancy Sustainment Package offer the tenant?


  1. Support with decluttering

  2. Support with their Hoarding Recovery, including attending Hoarding Support Groups and online courses to help manage their hoarding tenancies better

  3. Relapse prevention

  4. The opportunity to remain in the home, with supervision

A client centred approach means that the hoarding resident should be involved in every aspect of the process involving his or her home.


There must be a focus on the mental health challenges that the hoarder is facing, whether that be ADHD, OCD, Depression, Bereavement or Addiction. Any attempts to declutter the home without a therapy programme are likely to fail. These types of Tenants are dealing with serious emotional issues. As professionals, we must remain patient and understand that this isn’t something that can be rectified in a day or two.


We pay particular attention to children and vulnerable adults within the home living with the hoarding and comply with all safe-guarding duties.


We recognise that continued personal and sustained support for vulnerable and potentially vulnerable individuals is critical to the future success of their tenancy. The role of our Therapeutic Cleaners and Hoarding Practitioners is important in undertaking this work and in using housing support plans to detail the nature of assistance provided and actions to be followed to meet priorities agreed with the tenant. We provide a full case management service.


What is the benefit of a Hoarding Tenancy Sustainment Service?

  • The tenant is able to receive treatment

  • The property remains accessible and is working towards reinstatement of its original condition

  • Fire Hazards are reduced

  • Environmental Health hazards are reduced

  • Complaints from neighbours are reduced

  • The cost of the repairs on the property can be reduced

  • Tenants are not made homeless

  • Expensive legal fees and processes can be avoided


How does it work?


  • Assessment

  • Therapy & relationship building

  • Decluttering

  • Cleaning

  • Re-organising

  • Regular Therapeutic Cleaning visits

  • Hoarding Practitioner visits

  • Attendance at Weekly Hoarding Support Group meetings

  • Attendance at a 12 week intensive Hoarding Recovery Planning Programme

  • Self-Study of our Hoarding Recovery Courses online

Who pays for it?


If the tenant is unable to pay for our services initially, then one solution we propose is that the Landlord commits to an upfront amount for our services and then temporarily increases the rent for a number of months until the cost of the invoice is cleared.


Think this might be something you need more advice on?

Call us on 02895555600 or email: info@clearoutni.co.uk


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