Picture this: it’s late at night, or just really dark out at a reasonable hour because of the time change, and you’ve got a bag full of particularly putrid-smelling garbage. You don’t want the odor to consume your apartment, so it’s got to go. Your apartment is already a decent walk from the community dumpster, and you live on the top floor, so you’re facing obstacles like lengthy breezeways and stairs along the way.
If you’re thinking you’ll overcome a long walk by leaving your bag of trash on the hood of your car as you drive the distance, know that spilled items of garbage in the parking lot are not considered bastions of good fortune by your neighbors when they’re coming home from a tiring day. Maybe you’ll try to pawn the task off on your partner or your roommate, and an argument will ensue.
How do you truly avoid a situation this stinky? With valet waste removal, of course!
If you aren’t familiar with valet waste, allow me to explain.
What is valet waste?
Similar to valet parking service, valet waste removal (interchangeably referred to as valet trash removal) involves someone else performing the task for you (for a fee). All you have to do is set out your bagged and tied trash in the provided bin on your doorstep during the designated hours, and the trash valet will come and collect it for you.
How does it work?
Your friendly neighborhood trash valet works for the valet waste company contracted by your apartment community’s property management company. The valet waste company provides bins for every unit in an apartment community, from which they collect and dispose of every resident’s trash.
The valet waste company designates specific times for residents to leave their trash out before they begin collection. For example, residents will have from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Sunday through Thursday to leave their bins out on their doorsteps before the trash valets come for pickup beginning at 8:00pm, or shortly thereafter. After your trash is collected, you typically have until 9:00am the following morning to bring your bin back inside your home.
How much does valet waste charge?
When an apartment community offers valet-trash pickup, it is often a mandatory amenity carrying a monthly fee of anywhere between $25 and $35 per month. While some might deem valet-trash service unnecessary, even communities that don’t offer valet trash still charge a trash-removal fee for dumpster maintenance. You might as well enjoy the convenience and saved time that valet waste affords you.
How does valet trash benefit me?
Valet trash offers renters a bevy of benefits, including:
- Convenience. Valet trash saves you those long, dreaded trips to the dumpster we talked about earlier. This is especially helpful for seniors and people with disabilities.
- Cleanliness. When you live in an apartment community with valet waste, you can expect to see less trash lying around the community and no garbage spills on the stairs or breezeways.
- Extra space. Apartment communities don’t require many dumpsters when they opt for valet-waste service. Additional dumpsters can be consolidated to make room for more parking spaces or other amenities.
- Safety. With trash valets playing a visible role in the community, valet trash service can serve as a deterrent for opportunistic crime.
- Going green. Most valet waste companies accept a variety of items for recycling, making the process of going green that much more accessible.
Valet Waste Etiquette
Here are some quick tips for having a great experience with valet waste:
- Make sure all of your trash is bagged and tied, with no loose items floating around in your bin.
- Use your designated bin on the specified days for trash removal.
- Keep your bags under 25 lbs. each.
- Double bag any and all pet waste.
- Know the rules for your specific valet waste company, including items they will and won’t accept in and around your bin.
Valet waste is an undeniably convenient amenity for renters everywhere. It removes the chore-like aspect of taking out the trash, freeing you up to enjoy your apartment. What could be more luxurious than that?
