Abandoned and unwanted vehicles

Report an abandoned vehicle

• Report an abandoned vehicle online
• Report an abandoned vehicle on an estate online

When reporting please tell us:

• the exact location of the vehicle e.g., ‘outside number 6 High Road, Wembley’
• the colour, make and model of the vehicle e.g., 'red Ford Escort'
• the registration number of the vehicle
• the length of time you believe the vehicle has been abandoned at the location.

What is an abandoned vehicle?

• It is NOT a vehicle that is untaxed, untaxed vehicles should be reported directly to the DVLA.
• It is NOT a vehicle that has no MOT, vehicles with no MOT should be reported directly to the Police.

An abandoned vehicle is a vehicle that is no longer owned or wanted. Most vehicles that are removed for abandonment have:

• not moved for a long period of time
• rusty brake discs
• flat tyres/broken windows
• been burnt out
• a general condition of deterioration.

There may be other factors that could affect a council officer’s decision on whether or not a vehicle is deemed abandoned.

How long does it take to have a vehicle removed?

It can take up to four weeks to have an abandoned vehicle removed. This is dependent on when the vehicle is reported to the council, the detail of information received in the report (photographs and location information are very important) and the vehicle’s potential risk to the public.

Ask us to collect your old vehicle

The Council will remove, free of charge, vehicles that belong to residents of the borough, provided that proof of residency in the borough and vehicle ownership is provided. Your unwanted vehicle will only be collected for free from your address.

If you do not live in Brent, are the managing agent of a property in Brent, or a commercial property where an unwanted vehicle is located, there is a charge of £100 per vehicle removed from private property.

If you a Brent resident with an unwanted vehicle, please complete a resident indemnity form (.pdf, 206.7kB). If you are a managing agent or commercial property wanting to get rid of an unwanted vehicle on your land, please fill in a managing agent indemnity form (.pdf, 182.4kB).