Residents
Owners
Challenges are inevitable when you own or manage a rental property. Whether you’re dealing with a single-family or apartment building, issues arise that need immediate solutions. One of these problems is waste management, which can sometimes only have minimum implementation.
Property managers should put waste management on the list of high priorities. It’s crucial to implement easy-to-use and reliable waste management, recycling, and disposal systems that suit the rental property.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best ways to address waste management problems to make your rental property a comfortable living space for your tenants.
Make an Assessment of the Building
Before you implement any waste management system, see to it that you understand the features of the rental property. Making an assessment of the building can help you plan and set up a solid waste management solution proper to it.
Identify the amounts and types of waste generated, the time and location of waste collection and disposal, and the recycling and disposal methods. Observe how tenants generate and manage trash and how these change over time.
You can work with a professional to assess the best waste management plan for the building. Hiring a professional allows you to get into the core of the problem, present solutions, and pinpoint areas for upgrades.
Improve Routes for Waste Disposal and Recycling
The next step is to improve routes for recycling and disposal of waste on the property. In this case, it’s crucial to manage the materials to be used in optimizing your existing systems. There are various solutions to carry out this task.
Start with color-coding and putting labels on your trash and recycling containers according to municipality standards. In this way, you can streamline waste disposal for cleaners and tenants. Waste collection will also be easier because there are proper labels and color-coding of your trash bins and recycling containers.
Then, find ways to reduce the volume of waste. For example, you can invest in a cardboard baler to keep the volume of packaging waste at a minimum. Another solution is to build an onsite composting facility to manage food waste.
Ensure Participation of Tenants in Waste Management
You need to engage your tenants in whatever waste management solutions because they have stakes in this matter. Many tenants today find value in sustainability, and they’ll be willing to participate in this process of addressing waste disposal and recycling problems in their living space.
Make sure to provide them with information regarding existing systems and future plans for improving waste management in the building. You should also involve the renters and other stakeholders in proper waste disposal, reduction, and recycling. Make them understand that proper waste management can improve their living conditions.
Stakeholder participation in waste management is a double benefit. It gives your tenants hands-on participation in making their living more sustainable while relieving you of some of the burdens of doing it all by yourself as a property manager. Increased involvement in this area can minimize waste generation and boost recycling rates.
Be Ready for Seasonal Waste Management Issues
There are seasons when tenants generate more waste due to festivities and celebrations. One example is the holiday season when people shop and eat more. During this time, you should schedule a waste collection to ensure that you keep the trash on the property at a manageable volume.
Winter can also be problematic for your waste disposal since there might be delays in pickups due to unpredictable weather. Find solutions to handle this issue and ensure that your trash cans are durable enough to survive in extreme wind, rain, snow, and temperatures.
Solve Large Trash Items
Sometimes, residents throw their old mattresses and furniture near waste disposal areas. This can be unsightly and needs to be addressed immediately. When your tenants have large items to throw, tell them to inform you and schedule an on-call pickup for such items. You can also add a team member or hire a third party to handle this kind of problem.
Expand Area for Waste Disposal
If there’s a need to expand your waste disposal area, you should do it to improve waste management in your rental property. Sometimes, trash gets thrown in other places because there’s not enough space in the waste disposal area. Consider adding trash and recycling containers and making them more accessible.
Takeaway
Proper waste management is crucial in a rental property. When you have excellent waste disposal, reduction, and recycling system, you can improve the living conditions of your tenants, which should be the highest aim of property managers.
Assess the features of the building to figure out the best way to manage waste in it. Also, involve your tenants in your waste management plans. And consider optimizing waste disposal and recycling routes.
