We spend a lot of time thinking about garbage.
That’s because we’re professional Oakland property managers, and as you might expect – the properties we work with and the tenants who live in those properties produce a lot of trash.
Our goal is to keep your Oakland property clean. We want to avoid pests, deterioration, and unsightly build-ups of trash, debris, and waste.
There are a few garbage services available in Oakland, and the way trash is collected from your property will depend on where you are in the area, what type of property you’re renting out, and what kind of trash we’re talking about. There’s a different process for bulk waste than there is for recycling, for example.
Here’s a guide to the residential garbage services you can expect in Oakland, and how we use them for your rental properties.
Laws Surrounding Garbage and Multifamily Properties in Oakland
You are required to provide adequate trash, recycling, and compost collection services in your building. The frequency and the containers must match the levels of trash and garbage that your residents generate.
For trash this means you must have no less than 20 gallons of trash service per unit (see Oakland Municipal Code 8.28.140.).
To comply with State Bill 1383, multifamily properties must ensure residents have equal access to compost, recycle and trash service.
There is a new statewide law pertaining to organic waste.
If you own a multi-family property with five or more rental units, you are now required to dispose of organic waste separately and in accordance with state law. You must now provide organic waste collection services to residents. Organic waste includes food and food scraps, green material and compost, landscaping and pruning waste, organic materials and carpet, paper products, and manure.
As a property owner, you must now:
- Subscribe to the local city’s curbside collection service for organics or you can haul the waste to a composting facility on your own.
- Provide your building and your residents with a container that’s correctly labeled.
- Provide the composting information on organic waste collection to your residents within 14 days of them moving into your rental unit.
The point of SB 1383 is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that come from landfilling organic waste. The law expects rental property owners and property managers to routinely educate tenants, employees, and contractors about the law annually. Make sure the materials are sorted into the property bins. There cannot be any trash in the compost bins.
Outside of the organic law, you also need separate bins for trash and recycling. The recycled materials would include cardboard, paper, plastics, bottles, and cans.
Garbage Services for Oakland Rental Properties
The company contracted to remove waste from your residential building in Oakland depends on the type of waste we’re talking about.
Garbage services are provided by two different companies which contract with the City of Oakland.
Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc. takes care of:
- Trash
- Compost
- Bulky trash service
California Waste Solutions is used to service:
- Recycling
- Household batteries
- Used motor oil
Residents must have convenient access to sufficient trash, recycling, and compost containers. Make sure these are available, otherwise your residents can report that you’re non-compliant.
Sometimes, a tenant might have a bulky item that needs to be removed from their property. Or, perhaps you’re doing a turnover and you’ve found a lot of large items left behind by your residents and you need to dispose of them. You can schedule bulk trash pickup directly through Waste Management of Alameda County.
Instead of managing those awkward and bulky collections for your building, it’s easy enough to call and schedule curbside bulky collections. Call 1-888-WM-BULKY and schedule a pickup. They’ll collect furniture, mattresses, appliances, tires, and anything else that’s difficult to remove.
Drop off services are also available. Owners and tenants can schedule a one-time drop-off of up to four cubic yards of bulky waste per unit at the Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex in San Leandro.
If you own a building with a lot of units, and many of them are being rehabbed or turned over and there’s a lot of bulk trash to remove, you may want to schedule a free roll-off container and removal.
Educating Oakland Tenants on Garbage
Maintaining a rental property is your responsibility as an owner. However, it’s reasonable to expect your tenants to maintain a clean home while they’re living in your property. Make sure your lease agreement sets forth the expectations you have around keeping their unit clean and well-maintained. You deliver a clean and habitable home at the beginning of the lease term, and you should expect to have that property returned to you in a similarly clean condition.
Educate your tenants on how to dispose of trash. You can include this information in the lease agreement, or you can create a separate resource for them that addresses trash, recycling, and organic waste. Help them to understand what type of trash belongs in each bin. Give them information on when garbage is collected, what they should do if they notice that there has not been a trash pick-up as scheduled.
Tenants may have questions about how to dispose of a Christmas tree, old motor oil, or electronics that they no longer need such as computers and printers. If you cannot answer those questions for your residents, make sure you know which city agency to direct them to. Provide contact information for the City of Oakland’s trash vendors so they can dispose of these things safely and correctly.
We know that garbage is just one of the many details that you must handle when you’re renting out Oakland properties. It can get pretty overwhelming, especially with new laws being passed and requirements being implemented.
We can help you ensure you’re in compliance. If you have any questions, please contact us Marquardt Property Management. We provide expert property management in Oakland, the East Bay and in surrounding communities like Hayward, Pittsburg, and Concord.
