new to NYC - garbage question (apartment, rent, condo)

[mikester]

Hi, so we just moved to Brooklyn last week. Here's our question: where do we put our household trash? On the street there are these big garbage cans on the curb but they are labeled "APT 2F" or "APT 1A". We didn't want to put our trash into someone else's garbage can. So, do we have to buy our own garbage can? Shouldn't there be some for the entire apartment building?

[Henna]

I think you will have to ask the landlord or ask the neighbors. I lived in a 6-family building in Brooklyn and we had a set of trash cans that were for use by everyone in the building. The landlord was in charge. What size building is this and is your landlord the landlord for entire building, or do you rent a condo from an onwner?

I do have an idea, though - that it's possible the landlord set things up that way because of potential fines from the dept of sanitation. What I mean is if someone is doing their garbage wrong (and you do need to learn the rules) then the landlord can get a sanitation ticket. It each unit has its own can, then if the landlord is fined he may feel he can pass the fine on to the tenant who uses that trash can. a possible reason for ticketing is putting recyclable materials into the regular trash.

[mead]

If its a larger building there are usually trash cans in the building somehwere (usually near the washing machines) or behind the building in an alleyway.

Just ask the landlord/super about it or go bother your neighbors.