No special arrangements needed for pickup of large garbage items

same time as residual curbside garbage (i.e. every two weeks).

(For buildings with bin collection, tenants should arrange the disposal of oversized items with their landlord, and not put them in the building ’s garbage bin. Provided the landlord calls the city’s Solid Waste Management Services, large items will be picked up when the curbside collection takes place in the neighbourhood, rather than on bin collection day.)

In South Keys (and Old Ottawa South and Glebe), the next collection day for residual garbage (like move-out garbage) is Wednesday, Aug. 31. On Wednesday, Aug. 24, the collection is only for the black box (for newspaper, fine paper and cardboard) and the green bin (for organics, like food waste).

The collection days for residual garbage, blue box, black box and green bin collection vary across Ottawa. A tenant or resident who lives anywhere in Ottawa can check for their garbage and recycling days by visiting www. ottawa.ca, and under “hot topics for residents” choose “Garbage and Recycling collection calendar.” If a person enters their address, they can pull up their collection calendar. Anyone can sign up for email or instant message reminders.

People who are moving out at the end of the month need to put their move-out (or move-in) garbage out at the curb after 6 p.m. on the day before a collection day for residual garbage, or make arrangements with a neighbour or their landlord for them to do it. If you cannot be there on that date or make an arrangement with a neighbour or your landlord, then put the move-out garbage at the back of the property. Any garbage that will attract animals needs to be in a sealed plastic or metal container so that animals do not get in it and spread it around.

Recycling or residual garbage is not to be left out at the curb until 6 p.m. on the day before garbage day, and should be set out by 7 a.m. on garbage day.

The city can fine a tenant who puts out garbage at the wrong time. The city can also charge back cleanup costs to the landlord or even fine the landlord. Between a fine and a cleanup charge, a tenant and a landlord could be on the hook for $500. In principle, a landlord can collect that from the tenant who put the garbage out, but recovering the money may be time consuming. It is much better to avoid the problem by addressing it before it happens.

For their own sake and for the good of the community, landlords should ensure their tenants know the garbage days, and when they are allowed to put garbage out to the curb. That is especially important for tenants who are moving out or new tenants who are moving in.