Having The Tenant Pay For Garbage Removal

[Jonathan Tabak]

Good morning and I hope everyone had a nice fourth of July despite the pandemic.

I currently own and self manage properties in towns where residents of those towns (tenants and homeowners alike)  are required to procure their own sanitation removal company.

I have two family properties in these towns and until now I have simply paid for one garbage service per building.

Does anyone have opinions on each tenant being responsible for their own garbage collection and pick up and setting up their own contract with these local companies.  Obviously tenants pay for utilities on their own and responsible per the lease to keep the property clean and not a mess which we are enforcing.

Obviously it is not a ton of money, but it could be a savings of over $8,000 - $10,000 a year on our end.  While to some that is not a lot of money, it is something, and I believe every line of the balance sheet should be looked at :)

Thank you all for your feedback.

[Theresa Harris]

I'd provide it but factor it into your rent. Otherwise you will have people putting their garbage in other people's containers, leaving their garbage out and a bunch of garbage bins on the property.  These are costs that should be factored into your rent, same as property taxes.  You pay, but the money ultimately comes from the tenant.