As a tenant of a multi-family building, you may have wondered what you need to do if you want to dispose of large household items. Have you been thinking of making a new purchase (couch, mattress, table, and chairs, etc.) and uncertain about what to do with the items you're replacing, or how to dispose of them responsibly? Unfortunately, some tenants mistakenly think that they can put them out by the building dumpster and the landlord will take care of the disposal. As a property manager, I can tell you, this is not the right way to go about their disposal.
First off, let's eliminate disposal methods NOT to follow:
- DO NOT
Store them on your balcony (this is a breach of the lease agreement and against the multi-housing crime-free requirements)
- DO NOT
Place them in or beside the dumpsters on the property
- DO NOT
Place them in the building common areas
- DO NOT
Abandon them on the apartment property
- DO NOT
Abandon them on city side streets or construction sites
These disposal methods not only cost the landlord and city money, look awful for your neighbors and community, but they are also in fact illegal. And consider that costing the landlord money eventuality will end up costing you money as rents will need to increase to cover the expense of ongoing dumping fees. Instead, there are numerous ways in which you can get rid of large items, some of which are completely free.
Items in still usable condition can be donated to many different organizations, including:
For items that are beyond their purposeful life, there is a great recycling option, the company is called Canadian Mattress Recycling Inc. (Furniture Pickup).
Here's a sampling of their very reasonable rates:
- $15 Mattress or box spring (acceptable condition, any kind, any size)
- $25 Electric adjustable or medical beds
- $8 Crib size mattress
- $12 Wooden headboard or footboard (non-metal)
- $20 Complete wooden bed-frame (must be disassembled)
- $12 Office & Desk Chair
- $20 Armchair
- $25 Love Seat or Recliner
- $30 Couch
If the items to be discarded do not fit the guidelines for Furniture Pickup, then maybe the next best option maybe 1-800-GOT-JUNKThe above are mostly 'greener' options for disposing of old unwanted items, but then of course, we have the landfill in Abbotsford located at 34613 Vye Road.
One last suggestion may be the most intriguing of all – why don't you make some money on your old stuff by selling them through online services such as kijiji or Craigslist. And, if they don't sell, then list them under the 'Free' tab on kijiji, you might just avoid having to pay disposal fees altogether.
Disposing of items properly is part of being both a good neighbor and tenant and will also go a long way in keeping our properties (your home) looking great. Let's work together to be a leader in the community and keep our city looking great!
Mainstreet Equity Corp. is a publicly-traded (TSX: MEQ) residential real estate company in Canada. Mainstreet currently owns and operates properties in Surrey, BC; New Westminster, BC; Abbotsford, BC; Calgary, AB; Cochrane, AB; Lethbridge, AB; Edmonton, AB; Fort Saskatchewan, AB; and Saskatoon, SK.
Mainstreet provides affordable, renovated apartment suites to Canadians, and is committed to creating real value without diluting shareholder interests.