People have the right to live how they choose unless the condition of their premises is unsightly, in an insanitary condition or so cluttered and squalid, causing a risk to public health.
What we will investigate
We will investigate situations where properties have:
- a large accumulation of rubbish/putrescible waste
- infestation of vermin or other pests
- offensive odours or materials are emitted.
Our investigation will include a site inspection of your property as well as the property that you are concerned about.
Lodge a request
What happens next?
While officers can ask occupants to remove accumulated items and clean up their properties it can be a slow and difficult process. Sometimes occupants do not understand that the condition of their property is causing a local nuisance or public health risk. They may be reluctant to discard items or change their practices.
There is a lack of psychosocial and community health services to assist occupants to alter beliefs and heal underlying reasons for the poor property condition. Services that are available often have long waiting lists and require voluntary participation.
When a significant local nuisance or public health risk exists, council can take enforcement action to improve the condition of the premises. However, this is stressful to occupants, expensive and without resolving the underlying reasons for hoarding and/or squalor the property condition may deteriorate again in future.
Severe domestic squalor
Severe domestic squalor refers to households that are extremely cluttered, in a filthy condition, and where the accumulation of items such as personal possessions, rubbish, excrement and decomposing food creates an environment that jeopardises the health and wellbeing of the occupant(s). Furthermore, ‘normal’ household activities such as cooking, bathing and sleeping are impeded or not possible. In extreme cases, severe domestic squalor may also have an impact on neighbours because the property may be a fire hazard, emit a foul odour and harbour vermin.
Severe domestic squalor does not refer to properties that are simply unsightly, un-kept or where the accumulation of items does not jeopardise the occupants’ health and safety. In such situations, the condition of the property may be associated with a lifestyle choice and failure to remove household waste and rubbish.
For more information regarding the management of hoarding and squalor, visit: http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/severedomesticsqualor