Multi-family trash cart set out to curb side for collection

Multi-family trash cart set out to curb side for collection

Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 465 votes

For a small multi-family property such as a fourplex, how do other landlords who do your own property management handle the city trash collection services?

Here the tenants share the waste carts.  Two carts for regular trash, two for recycled, two for yard waste.  All are plastic wheeled carts, and you have to roll them like 15 feet to the curb by 6am on collection day, and take them back at the end of the day.

I have tried various approaches with mixed results.

Allowing it to overflow results in trash being thrown into the wrong cart, or stacked outside, attracting possums, raccoons, squirrels, lizards, stray cats to rip them apart and cause a mess.

Do you leave it to the tenants to work it out on some rotation schedule?  That seems to result in everyone doing the "I didn't know its my turn..."

Do you designate one particular tenant with that responsibility?  Possibly with a small rent reduction as motivation?

Do you bite the bullet and drive there yourself twice a week just to roll the carts out?

Do you find a local service to come do it?

Now the tenants as individuals are clean and keep their individual units neat and presentable, but when it comes to common area hygiene and order they can be petty.  One even suggested the person who produced the most trash that day should roll them out, another thinks unless the carts is completely filled, you can skip it until it piles up...urging

So what to do?

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Investor · Hillsboro, MO · Member since 2014 · 57 posts · 16 votes
10y

My Duplex has a separate can for each unit, for both trash and yard waste.

See this reply in the discussion

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  • New Bedford, MA · Member since 2015 · 361 posts · 114 votes
    10y

    I own a duplex and started off driving there to bring them out, and bring them back in. Since trash and lawn was done on separate days, I found myself driving there 4 days a week. I then started bringing them out and hoping a tenant would bring them in....was working, but felt bad. 

    I ended up giving one of the tenants $25 off rent each month if they were in charge of bringing out and bringing back in all barrels. They loved the idea and so far so good!

  • Investor · Hillsboro, MO · Member since 2014 · 57 posts · 16 votes
    10y

    My Duplex has a separate can for each unit, for both trash and yard waste.

  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    We have a dumpster for the 5 unit but I thought about cans, we have to pay for the trash through a private service anyway. For a duplex I would have them put out their own like the single families. I know growing up we did not put out the tenants trash in my parents two family but not sure about a  4 family. What's cheaper getting them their own cans and having them put it out or getting someone to put it out?  I know some of the private trash services around here will retrieve it from next to the house but it sounds like you have city service. I am curious what others do too.

  • Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 465 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Robert P.:

    I own a duplex and started off driving there to bring them out, and bring them back in. Since trash and lawn was done on separate days, I found myself driving there 4 days a week. I then started bringing them out and hoping a tenant would bring them in....was working, but felt bad. 

    I ended up giving one of the tenants $25 off rent each month if they were in charge of bringing out and bringing back in all barrels. They loved the idea and so far so good!

     I am considering the same approach like offering a $25 rent credit for doing this chore.

    The other option could be to request from the city two more regular trash carts and label them #1, #2, #3, #4 and have each tenant take out and retrieve their own.  But then I have a similar issue with recycled waste and yard waste.  The yard waste is only used by my lawn guy.

  • Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 465 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Colleen F.:

    We have a dumpster for the 5 unit but I thought about cans, we have to pay for the trash through a private service anyway. For a duplex I would have them put out their own like the single families. I know growing up we did not put out the tenants trash in my parents two family but not sure about a  4 family. What's cheaper getting them their own cans and having them put it out or getting someone to put it out?  I know some of the private trash services around here will retrieve it from next to the house but it sounds like you have city service. I am curious what others do too.

    This is obviously not an issue for someone who lives in one unit and rents out the rest.

    Probably not an issue with an easy going tenant who volunteers to take care of the trash set out...and I had one tenant who did that all year until he moved out.

    Some tenants are more petty then others.

    The carts are on wheels and we are talking about 15 feet over paver bricks.

    But I need to think of a more permanent solution.

  • San Jose, CA · Member since 2015 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    10y

    I'd think the solution would be for you to pay one of the tenants to be in charge of it or to do it yourself.  But, from a tenant's point of view, it's not reasonable to expect them to have to work as a team with their neighbors.

    For instance, where I live now as a tenant, I'd never want to have to deal with working anything out with my neighbors on garbage or anything else.  I didn't sign on to join a "team."  I just want to pay my rent for my space, end of story.  I didn't join a commune.

    So, if my landlord told me I had to deal with my neighbors and cooperate with them or whatever, I'd say  no way, Jose.  I am not interested in having a relationship with my neighbors. I want them to respect my space and I'll do the same for them, and that's it.

    I expect the onsite manager here to deal with those issues, and I thank my lucky stars that is no longer me LOL.

  • New Bedford, MA · Member since 2015 · 361 posts · 114 votes
    10y

    agree with @Account Closed. Either work something out with a single tenant or do it yourself. By no means make them work together to figure it out. That could get messy real quick! For such a simple task (bringing them out 15 feet to the curb), most tenants would be happy to get any amount off rent for doing it. Depending on how far you live from the property, it could worth it just to pay them a few bucks to do it.

  • Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2013 · 37 posts · 2 votes
    9y

    I'm in one unit of a duplex with city curb service. Back unit tenants haven't taken out or brought in the trash since before Christmas, so 3 weeks.  Often the trash is in the wrong can, trash in recycling, and one time oil in recycling(said auto parts store told them to do it). Also work trash(cardboard from contracting job) They were all alone in the back for a wile and I think they must have taken out their own trash and have on occasion actually done it. 

    I feel like saying next time the trash is not handled $43.00 more ($10/wk) for the service.

  • Realtor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2013 · 227 posts · 35 votes
    8y
    I like what Kevin Breslin says! I’m having a tenant who for the second hasn’t brought the bin to the back after it’s been picked up and I’m about to have give him a second “friendly reminder”. It looks so ugly and out line when it’s just sitting there in the front and the rest of the street has brought theirs to back in.... what is so hard about wheeling it back and forth on collection day??? It’s not even a 45 second walk in my case. But whatever. I’ll send him a reminder again if it’s still there tonight and if not I will start to see if I can charge him a small fee or something.
  • Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    8y

    "what is so hard?"

    You need to understand the mentality of tenants. They don't care. If your first friendly reminder did not work then sending a second friendly reminder will likely be received with their second silent "sc**w you".

    Friendly reminders rarely get results, unfortunately you have to 'play the game" but ultimately you must be very strict, clearly define your requirements and the consequences of not complied. After that you must follow through with your discipline.

    It is a landlords responsibility to train tenants. Every bad tenant is created by a bad landlord.

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