Storage Sheds Policy

Sheds are lockable, self-contained storage spaces. Not all sheds are occupied. There are sheds allocated for Estate Office use. There are sheds that cannot be allocated because of their location (near water pumps). 

Equity and fairness are the principles guiding this policy document. With the view of working towards an objective where everyone living on the Estate will be given the opportunity to rent one. 

Sheds are allocated based on a resident’s waiting list number.  Once a shed becomes available, it will be allocated to the resident who is at the top of the list.  Residents who are second and higher will move up a place in the waiting list by the number of sheds re-allocated (if one shed is reallocated, the resident who is second will become first; if two sheds are reallocated, the resident who is third will become first). 

All shed owners are encouraged to keep their accounts in credit (12 weeks’ worth). Shed owners will be reminded to top up their account once the balance equates to four weeks’ credit (Letter 1).

The table below sets out the types of letters shed owners will receive and the balance that triggers the letters.

Forfeiture proceedings will commence once the account reaches 4 weeks arrears, with a seven-day notice left on the door and sent to the resident.  In the event of forfeiture, items will be stored for a maximum of 28 days.

Other than for forfeiture proceedings which require a change in locks, there may be an occasion where a shed user asks for the locks to be changed.  This may be owing to the loss of keys or broken keys. 

The shed user will put the request in writing.  The Co-op will acknowledge the request within two working days and notify them that this will be at their cost, and that payment will be required first before the service is delivered. After that, the Co-op must:

• Verify that the request came from the shed user.  This will be achieved by way of requesting photo identification which must be presented in person.
• If the shed user wants the new keys to be posted through their letter box, proof of address from the past 3 months (utility or bank).
• Verify that the shed user is requesting a change in the locks of their actual shed.

Once the two verification stages are completed, the Co-Op will either:

• Accept the request, with details on how payment could be made to the Co-Op and the next steps
• Decline the request, explaining reasons (unable to verify the person making the request is the actual user of the shed, or that the shed identified is theirs) and what they will need to do to turn this into an accepted request

The Co-Op will then send a works order to the approved supplier for lock changes. 

If the Co-Op can not be present at the lock change, the approved supplier is asked to take a photo of the contents before the locks are changed.

The locksmith will then either post the keys into the letter box of the shed user (if the proof of address was satisfactory) or through the letter box of the Estate Office.

On receipt of the keys at the Estate Office, the Co-Op will take steps to make sure that the keys are handed to the shed user, in person.  Only the person in the photo identification will be allowed to collect the keys. 

Most of the sheds on Wimbledon Park Estate are not numbered. 

In the event a section 6 (of this policy) request is made, the Co-Op must follow the processes set out in section 6 but this time leave a seven-day notice on the door for any objections to be made.  The Co-op will take a photo of the notice on the door as evidence that it has been left.

This policy limits the ownership of sheds to one shed per address.