Multi-family Waste Services

Property owners are responsible for establishing waste collection services for their tenants. Property owners are required to set up adequate recycling and compost service for tenants, and tenants must have equally convenient access to recycling, compost, and trash. Property owners may be cited and fined for lack of required service. Learn more about the Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance composting and recycling requirements, including tenant education, from StopWaste.

Waste services and rates

All requests to start, change, or stop waste services must be submitted by the property owner and cannot be requested directly by the tenant, unless authorized.

No more than two 96-gallon carts will be provided for multi-family customers for trash, recycling or compost, unless there is inadequate space for a dumpster.

Contact Customer Service at (510) 981-7270 to start, change, or stop trash and compost collection service at your rental properties. The contact information for recycling service depends on the number of units in your building:

• 1-9 units: Contact the Ecology Center at (510) 527-5555
• 10 or more units: Contact Customer Service at (510) 981-7270

Rates for buildings with 1-4 units can be found on Residential Waste Services.

Rates for buildings with 5 units or more can be found on Commercial Waste Services.

Landlord responsibilities

Property owners are responsible for ensuring that waste carts are at the curb for pick-up by 7 am on the scheduled service day. They should also ensure that carts are removed from the curb within 24 hours of pick-up.

Landlords are required to provide informational material to tenants yearly and at move-in and move-out. It is recommended that posters are placed above each collection container. Call Customer Service to request informational posters, or print the documents below yourself: