RESIDENT RETENTION
SIMON GEISLER | ALL BRIGHT SANITATION
Things to look for when negotiating your
waste service agreements
I
t’s not the most glamourous part of property management, but it comes with the
territory. When the time comes to find
someone to pick up garbage up at your community, it helps to consider your options carefully.
Here are five things to consider:
Price
Price is not everything, but it can have a huge
impact on your bottom line. When comparing bids,
make sure you are getting an apples to apples comparison. Many waste collection companies add
hidden fees like fuel surcharges, environmental
recovery fees, and other fees to pad their billings,
so make sure everything is included in the bid
before making a decision.
Insurance & Background
Checks
Let’s face it; the trucks your provider is going
to be bringing onto your property are big and heavy,
which can cause liability issues, you want to make
sure that you are covered.
When selecting a provider, you should ask for
proof of minimum liability insurance and worker’s
compensation insurance. After signing the contract, ensure the contractor adds you as an additional insured on both policies to protect yourself
from liability.
It is also important to make sure the company
you use has fully checked their employees since
they may visiting your resident’s homes.
Service Level
Depending on the size and layout of your community, there are many effective ways to handle
the trash generated by the property. Smaller communities, townhomes, and single family properties
www.aamdhq.org
can rely on trash can service where each tenant has
their own trash can emptied at least once a week.
As communities increase in size, dumpster
service tends to be a better option. With dumpster
service, it is important to determine how many
dumpsters the provider will bring and whether you
have the room for them. It is also important to
find out how often they will come to empty the
containers; by having smaller containers dumped
more frequently you can generally keep a cleaner,
tidier appearance.
Larger communities or those with limited
space can use compactor service, resulting in
fewer pickups. A good waste services provider can
come out to your community and help you sort
through your options to find the best solution for
your community.
Recycling
America is going greener by the day, and more
and more residents are looking for recycling service
when searching for an apartment. If possible, try
to find a vendor offering single stream recycling.
The benefits of such a system is you only have
to provide one container for recycling rather than
sorting recyclables into multiple containers, saving space and increasing participation rates and
tenant happiness.
Extras / Bulky Items
It happens every month, tenants move out and
rather than taking all of their furniture, they leave
it in the dumpster area; or current tenants buy new
furniture and leave the old out by the dumpsters.
It is important to see how your removal company will deal with this eventuality. Some companies just take these extra items with their regular
pickup, while others will require a special trip.
Another way providers deal with this situation
is by providing an open top roll off container at
specified intervals for bulky items if your property
has the room to allow this. When quoting your
property, make sure to find out if there is an additional charge for these items and who will pay,
whether your tenant will pay directly or you will
be responsible.
Simon Geisler owns and operates All Bright Sanitation, which
specializes in waste removal in the Denver Metro Area.
MARCH 2016 • TRENDS | 21