Somerville property owners must keep trash and recycling containers in good condition with tight-fitting lids, free of leaks and pests. Damaged or overflowing bins draw code enforcement action.
Somerville Municipal Code and 105 CMR 410 require property owners and tenants to maintain refuse containers that are watertight, rodent-proof, and covered with tight lids. Barrels that leak, lack lids, or harbor pests generate code violations. Inspectional Services responds to 311 complaints about overflowing or damaged bins. Multifamily buildings must provide enough containers sized to generation rates and collection frequency so trash does not overflow between pickups. Persistent overflow is a blight condition that can lead to monetary fines and orders to add dumpster capacity. City-owned barrels damaged through normal wear can be replaced through 311; tenant damage is owner responsibility. Rodent sightings near bins trigger joint inspection by Inspectional Services and the Health Department.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA
Overnight street parking in Somerville requires a resident permit citywide. Snow emergencies trigger odd-even or posted-side bans.
Somerville, MA
Commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons cannot park overnight on Somerville residential streets. Loading zones are time-limited and signed by block.
Somerville, MA
Most Somerville streets are resident-permit zones. Non-residents are limited to 2 hours on posted blocks from 8 AM to 8 PM daily including weekends.
Somerville, MA
Somerville requires a building permit for most fence installations, with historic districts adding a Historic Preservation Commission review step for visible...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle trash bin storage.
See how Somerville's trash bin storage rules stack up against other locations.
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