Abandoned vehicles

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Identifying an abandoned vehicle

For a vehicle to be considered abandoned, it will generally be one or more of the following:

  • stationary for a significant amount of time and is untaxed
  • show signs of not being used for a long time, like rusty brakes, flat tyres or a build-up of dirt around vehicle, especially the wheels
  • have significant damage, is run down or unroadworthy
  • have no wheels and/or has broken windows
  • without registration plates
  • burned out

If you are reporting a vehicle as being abandoned, please ensure it falls into the above-mentioned categories or it will not be dealt with.

What you can report

You can report an abandoned car, van, lorry, motorbike, caravan or trailer on a public road or on your land.

We do not remove vehicles that are simply untaxed or without a valid MOT. You can report untaxed vehicles to:

You can report vehicles without an MOT to the police.

Before you report

A vehicle that is untaxed, is poorly parked or does not belong to a resident living in the road isn't necessarily abandoned. However, if you think a vehicle is dangerous or hazardous, we may be able to remove it, even if it is not abandoned.

Check for vehicle tax or MOT

The vehicle will rarely have been abandoned if it is taxed and with a valid MOT. Check the vehicle's MOT status on the gov.uk website.

How to report

Use our online form to report an abandoned vehicle. This form should take approximately six minutes to complete. When reporting an abandoned vehicle, provide the following information to help us process your report:

  • vehicle registration number (if none then it will take longer to process)
  • make, model and colour
  • exact location of vehicle
  • tax expiry date - check on gov.uk
  • how long you think it has been abandoned
  • whether there are any flat tyres, missing wheels, rusty brake discs or broken windows
  • is there mould within the vehicle, for example around the window seal?
  • does the vehicle contain any waste?
  • is the vehicle significantly damaged, run down or unroadworthy?

Uploading supporting documents

Upload evidence, a photo of the abandoned vehicle, if you are able:

  • we accept photos taken on phones and tablets
  • image file types: jpg, jpeg, GIF, png, pdf - zip files can't be uploaded
  • maximum individual file size of 20Mb per per document

If we do not have the above information, we cannot investigate the issue.

Specific locations

RBKC housing estates

If the abandoned vehicle is parked on a council housing estate, email [email protected].

Public highways

If the abandoned vehicle is parked on the public highway, report it online Report a Problem on a street.

Private land

If the abandoned vehicle is parked on privately owned land, the owner of the land must contact the council regarding this vehicle. For the council to remove the vehicle it MUST be fully accessible and ‘open to the air’. There may also be a cost involved with investigating and removing the abandoned vehicle. Should you wish to report an abandoned vehicle on your land, use Report a Problem on a street.

Next steps

  • A street enforcement officer will aim to investigate your report within five working days
  • We will give the registered keeper a chance and time to claim the vehicle before towing it away. This may take a few weeks
  • We will contact you if we have any questions and will let you know if we cannot remove the vehicle, but we do not provide status updates
  • We will not tell anyone that you reported this

Abandoned vehicle penalties

If you abandon a vehicle on open land or on the public highway, you could face a maximum penalty of £500, three months imprisonment or both.

Destroying abandoned vehicles: notice periods

If we find a vehicle that we believe is abandoned we are legally required to fix a notice to the vehicle giving the owner a chance to remove it before we take it away and destroy it.

The notice period will depend on where the vehicle is left and its condition. Notice periods are:

  • 24 hours
  • seven days
  • 15 days

If the vehicle is still in position when the notice has expired, we will take it away.

Dispose of unwanted vehicles

The council can remove your unwanted vehicle for you. To use this free service complete a surrender form and post to:

Abandoned Vehicle Section
Council Offices
37 Pembroke Road
London
W8 6PW

with the registration form (log book)

We will send your information to the DVLA to deregister your car. The council's contractor will collect and dispose of the vehicle.

If you have an unwanted vehicle that is drivable, you can take it to:

EMR
106 Scrubbs Lane
NW10 6QY.

This is a free service but you will need to take proof of your address with you. For more information contact EMR:

  • telephone: 020 8969 1116

Contact us

If you have any questions or need more information contact Streetline:

Last updated: 19 May 2025