For landlords, supers & property managers

The bins belong to the building. They should say so.

The official NYC Bin is identical on every curb in the city. Tenants drag them out, the block shuffles them, and the super plays detective. A printed tag on every bin - the building's address, readable from the curb - keeps the set together.

Tag your building's bins

Checked against NYC & DSNY sources · Last checked November 5, 2026

Why this landed on your desk

The rule changed

Buildings with 1 to 9 residential units must use official NYC Bins for trash as of June 1, 2026. Full enforcement, with $50 fines, started September 8, 2026.

Every bin looks the same

The official bin is identical on every curb in the city. On pickup night, your building's bins mix with next door's. The one that comes back short is your problem.

Enforcement aims at the property

Trash-container summonses go to the property owner, not the tenant - and the schedule climbs: $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, $200 for each one after.

What the city actually asks of a building

Stripped of the legal wording, the current rules come down to four duties:

Use the right containers. Official NYC Bins for trash at 1-9 unit buildings; sturdy bins with secure lids (55 gallons or less) for recycling and compost.
Label what's required. Recycling and compost bins must be clearly labeled. The official trash bin ships with a space for the address, in the city's words, "for easy identification."
Keep waste areas marked. In buildings with 4 or more units, bins and waste storage areas must be clearly identified and labeled.
Replace what walks off. A stolen official bin is a police report and a new purchase. DSNY does not replace it.

The full checklist, with the official source for each line: the building checklist.

One order covers the whole building

A printed tag on every bin - the building's address big, plus an optional extra line for a unit, stream or bin number - ends the nightly shell game. It survives rain, road salt and power-washing in a way a marker never does.

How to tag an entire property in one pass: the bulk labeling guide.

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