How our void cleaning services get results for Fortem 

For those who manage residential property, the topic of voids needs no introduction. There are all sorts of (sometimes distressing) reasons why properties may be vacant. This may present severe challenges to returning any residential property to a safe, hygienic, and usable state. Depending on the precise circumstances under which it became vacant, there may be a need to remove bio-hazardous waste, which can include human or animal waste. Even if the reason for the void is simply that a tenancy has ended, or a property owner has departed, there may be specific maintenance and cleaning issues arising both inside and outside the property. Here at Fidelis, we provide void cleaning and clearance services that deliver results. And in this blog, we explore these results for one of clients: Fortem Solutions Limited.

The context for residential property voids – and how Fortem turns properties round

It’s important to provide some context for void residential properties in the UK. According to the most recent government council taxbase figures released in November 2022, there are 257,331 homes in England that are classed as long-term empty homes. This means that they have been left vacant for more than six months. That showed an increase of 20,000 compared to 2021 and represents the highest level in over a decade. There are several reasons for long-term voids, whether that’s structural maintenance issues or the fact that UK residential property is an international asset class. 

Of course, there are plenty of voids that are only short-term. For instance, social housing providers with significant housing stocks will operate with a certain proportion of empty properties, just because of ‘churn’ of tenancies. For these organisations, turning round void properties quickly so that they can be relet is an important consideration. And a company such as our client Fortem works hard to ensure that properties don’t become long-term voids. 

Who are Fortem, and where does Fidelis work with them?

Fortem offers specialist property solutions tailored to keep homes and buildings running smoothly. The company’s highly trained teams deliver a range of internal and external repairs 24/7 as well as high-quality voids, planned installations and gas services. They have contracts with Birmingham City Council and other social housing providers across the West and East Midlands for repair and maintenance and void works.

Fidelis provides cleaning operatives for Fortem operations in south Birmingham, and the Orbit works (which covers a geographic area that covers addresses between Milton Keynes and Leicester, with a majority in the CV postcode). We’ve been working together on Fortem’s void works since 2019.

Providing Fortem with high-quality void cleaning and clearance services

We work with Fortem at two stages of the process. First, it’s a question of managing voids; from internal void clearances of rubbish and recycling through to garden cutbacks, Fidelis does everything that’s needed. Then after Fortem has finished any refurbishment works that they need to complete, we do a final clean before the property is signed off by the client for reletting. 

“Fidelis keeps good working relationships with us and our clients. They’re always really good at communicating any issues that they may have.” Fortem Quantity Surveyor

Fortem gets a minimum of 100 voids a month in each of these contracts. In Birmingham, Fidelis does around half of them, equating to 15 void clearances and final cleans per week. For the Orbit works, it’s around 15-20 per month. And the timescales for this work are tight. Fortem usually has a week to turn around void properties, so the interior clearance needs to take no more than a working day. We’ve even worked in an emergency capacity when the end-client needed an urgent response.

“Fidelis is my go-to contractor, as they can carry out various tasks and go the extra mile to make sure our client is happy.” Fortem Quantity Surveyor

Read the full case study here. 

To find out more about Fidelis Group and our void cleaning services, contact one of the team today.

• Telephone: 0845 431 0382  |  0121 289 3258
• Email: info@fidelisgroup.co.uk 
• Website: www.fidelisgroup.co.uk 

Post by Jon Shaw

Jon is Managing Director at Fidelis Contract Services Ltd, a business dedicated to performance and professionalism in contract cleaning. Having been part of Fidelis for four years, and MD since December 2021, Jon knows the value of the company’s staff in building trust for successful long-term partnerships with clients in a range of sectors.

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