Resident guidance: All Housing residents - Last updated 17 June 2026

Tree management

Trees are an important part of our natural environment, they help create pleasant, green places to live and play a role in limiting climate change. We also know that trees can sometimes cause concern - especially after storms, if branches overhang paths, or if roots affect drains or paving.

This page explains how Anchor manages trees, who pays for tree work and how to report a concern.

In this guidance you’ll find:

Who is responsible for trees near your home
What to do if you’re worried about a tree
Planting new trees
When will Anchor remove or prune a tree?
Who pays for tree work?
Protected trees and legal restrictions
Overhanging branches and tree roots
How to get more help

Who is responsible for the trees near your home

Anchor is responsible for maintaining trees on land we own or manage.

Rented housing: This includes trees in communal areas and trees in your private garden.
Homeownership locations: Responsibility for trees in private gardens depends on what your lease says.

It is part of Location Managers duties to ensure that the grounds are monitored, including trees, and that any works are discussed and escalated as appropriate.

What to do if you’re worried about a tree

If you’re concerned about a tree - for example if it looks damaged, unsafe, or has been affected by storms please speak to your location manager or contact the Customer Experience Hub.

We’ll assess the situation and decide whether any work is needed to keep people and property safe.

Can I plant a new tree?

You must get permission from Anchor before planting a tree at your location.

This is because trees can affect:

Buildings and drains
Paths and access routes
Future maintenance costs for residents

We’ll consider things like the tree type, location, future growth and ongoing costs before agreeing.

When will Anchor remove or prune a tree?

We take a balanced approach to tree management.

We do not usually remove or heavily prune trees just because they:

Cast shade
Drop leaves or blossom
Cause minor inconvenience

However, we will arrange work where a tree:

Poses a health and safety risk
Is damaged or unstable
Is causing structural damage
Blocks essential access, lighting or escape routes

Where possible, if a tree is removed, we’ll recommend to residents that it is replaced with another in a more suitable environment or a substitute tree more suited to that environment. We will aim to plant native tree species to enhance local biodiversity.

Who pays for tree work?

In most cases, tree inspections and works are paid for by the service charge, in the same way as other grounds and garden maintenance.

There are some exceptions:

In rented housing, work to trees in a resident’s garden that they have sole access to will not be charged to the service charge, and would be covered by Anchor.
In homeownership, responsibility and allocation of costs depend on your lease.

If works are needed, we’ll explain:

What is being done
Why it’s needed
How costs are managed

Where possible, non-emergency remedial works will be spread over several years to spread the cost and reduce the effect on the service charge.

We will always aim to discuss costs with you, costing for tree works will be identified within your budget packs and further information can be provided as required by your local housing team. However where urgent works are identified consultation can be in the form of a letter. Consultation may not be possible at all in the case of emergency works.

Protected trees and legal restrictions

Some trees are legally protected and cannot be worked on without permission.

We will check these restrictions before any work is carried out, and plan carefully to avoid disturbing wildlife.

Overhanging branches and tree roots

Wherever possible, we aim to ensure that trees do not overhang, in the interest of maintaining a safe environment for all residents. We work proactively with our gardening teams to help prevent such issues from arising. However, if you identify any areas of concern, please report them to your local team.

Trees must not compromise access, egress, or essential lighting. Potential risks associated with tree growth will be considered as part of routine health and safety checks, with pruning planned in advance wherever possible to prevent branches from becoming a hazard.

If a neighbouring tree overhangs Anchor land, we may be able to arrange pruning - but we must take reasonable care whilst undertaking the works and will usually involve a specialist to avoid damage or legal issues.

If you’re worried about roots affecting paths, drains or buildings, please report this so we can investigate safely.

More help and support

If you have concerns about a tree or want to ask about planting, please speak to your location manager or contact our Customer Experience Hub on 0800 731 2020.

We’ll explain what happens next and make sure your concern is looked at properly.