Free help with hoarding in the UK

Enter the postcode of the home to see which council and fire service cover it, with links to the right pages. Below: what each organisation can do for free, what it cannot, and who pays if a clean-up is needed.

Researched and edited by Taro Schenker · Updated 29 September 2026 · Sources and method

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We do not store the postcode. It is sent to postcodes.io to find the council.

Who helps for free, and what they do not do

Who	What they can do	What to know
GP (NHS)	Can refer for talking therapy. The NHS names cognitive behavioural therapy as the main treatment for hoarding disorder.	Does not clear or clean homes.
Council adult social care	A free care needs assessment on request (England). Takes concerns about an adult at risk, including self-neglect and hoarding, and decides case by case whether to act.	An assessment is free; any help that follows can depend on eligibility and a financial assessment.
Council environmental health	In England and Wales, deals with homes that are filthy or verminous to a degree that harms health, or a statutory nuisance to neighbours. Can serve a notice, and can do the work itself if the notice is ignored.	The council can recover the cost of work it does when a notice is ignored, from the person the notice was served on. Clutter alone does not meet the legal test.
Fire and rescue service	A free home fire safety visit (often called Safe and Well), depending on the service's own assessment of risk: advice on escape routes and smoke alarms fitted where needed. Most services accept a request made for someone else.	Does not clear possessions.
HoardingUK (charity)	A confidential helpline for people who hoard, their families and professionals, one-to-one support sessions, and local and online support groups.	Not a crisis line and not a clearance service. The helpline number is not freephone.
Landlord (council or housing association tenants)	The tenancy or housing team may be able to arrange support. Some housing associations have paid for deep cleans for tenants who need them.	Ask early, before any inspection or deadline.

Is there free help with the clean-up itself?

We found no national scheme that pays for a hoarded home to be cleared or cleaned. The NHS treats hoarding disorder; it does not clear homes. In England and Wales, councils can arrange cleansing of a home that is filthy or verminous when a notice is ignored, and can recover the cost.

Some councils and housing associations do pay for deep cleans for people they support. Camden, Durham and Chelmer Housing Partnership, for example, have contracts with cleaning and decluttering firms for residents or tenants who need them. These are local and depend on an assessment. Ask adult social care or the landlord whether one exists in your area.

If the clean-up has to be paid for privately, our hoarder cleaning cost guide shows what UK firms publish, and who pays after a death covers a home left hoarded when someone dies.

If you are worried about someone else

In England and Wales, adults are presumed able to make their own decisions, including ones others think are unwise, and a cluttered home does not on its own mean someone lacks capacity (Mental Capacity Act 2005, section 1). Northern Ireland has its own mental capacity law. Mind advises against surprise or unwanted clear-ups and recommends respecting the person’s choices and focusing on their safety and wellbeing.

What helps is starting with safety (escape routes, smoke alarms, heating, cooking) and with what the person wants to change. Our guide on how to help someone who hoards builds a plan with them.

If you think an adult is at risk of harm and cannot protect themselves, report it to their council’s adult social care team. In England, the Care Act guidance lists self-neglect, including hoarding, as a form of neglect, but says each case needs its own assessment: a report does not automatically lead to intervention.

Why the fire service is worth calling

London Fire Brigade explains that piled-up possessions can block escape routes and firefighters’ access, and help a fire spread. It attended 1,028 fires involving hoarding in London in 2025, up from 954 in 2024. A home fire safety visit is free, and 30 of the 49 UK fire and rescue services publish advice specifically about hoarding.

Questions people ask

Does the NHS help with hoarding?: Yes, with treatment rather than clearing. The NHS describes cognitive behavioural therapy as the main treatment and suggests starting with a GP. It does not pay for a home to be cleared.
Can the council force someone to clear their home?: Only in limited cases. In England and Wales a council can serve a notice under section 83 of the Public Health Act 1936 if a home is filthy or verminous to a degree that harms health, and do the work itself if the notice is ignored, then recover the cost. Clutter alone does not meet that test.
Can I ask for a fire safety visit for someone else?: Most do: 44 of the 49 UK fire and rescue services we checked accept a request made on someone else’s behalf. Scotland’s service asks for the person’s consent. Use the postcode search above to find the right service and its form.
Is the HoardingUK helpline free?: The support is free (the charity asks for donations), but 020 3239 1600 is an ordinary London number, not a freephone number.