The vast majority of New York City’s residential landlords will be banned from piling up trash in front of their buildings come November — and will face fines if they don’t put out their garbage in bins with secure lids.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the incoming rule on Monday, marking his administration’s latest step to fight the city’s rat population by containerizing the mountains of bags that both clog up the city’s sidewalks and serve as rodent restaurants. The mayor acknowledged the concept of putting garbage in bins isn’t new — but that it’s a big change for New Yorkers, who have for decades been allowed to pile their trash curbside.
“We’re only catching up to what other municipalities across the globe, what they’re currently doing,” Adams said during a news conference.
Owners of buildings with fewer than 10 units have until Nov. 12 to begin putting their trash out in bins. For now, they can use any container they please, so long as it doesn’t exceed 55 gallons in size and has a lid that’s “tight-fitting.” But come June 2026, those property owners will need to buy a standardized bin from the city for their building’s refuse.
As of Monday, landlords can pre-order one of the official “NYC Bins,” which cost approximately $51 after taxes and fees and will be delivered as soon as Sept. 3.
“They will last for a long time,” Adams said.
The contract to manufacture the bins, awarded to Otto Environmental Systems, calls for them to last for at least a decade of normal use.
The mandate for landlords to put trash in containers does not apply to recycling or compost, according to the rules published by the city.
Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the rules will apply to 95% of the city’s residential buildings, many of which already use trash bins with secure lids. City officials estimated the rules could reduce the amount of garbage on city sidewalks by 70%.
Property owners who ignore the requirements and continue to pile up trash bags on their curbs will risk a $50 fine from the sanitation department. They’ll be hit with a $100 fine for a second violation, and $200 if they’re caught breaking the rule three or more times.
The city also plans to require all large residential buildings and businesses to put out their trash in containers, but have not yet set a date for that mandate.
Last year, the sanitation department began piloting a program in West Harlem, where residents were required to put out their trash in shared dumpsters installed on the street. The department discussed plans to eventually expand the initiative to other areas of the city.
Councilmember Shaun Abreu, who chairs the sanitation committee and represents the area where the city is testing out the shared containers, said the program is proving to be a success.
“If you can shut off the food supply for rats, either they won’t reproduce as much or they’ll go find their food somewhere else,” Abreu said.