Novi, MI Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Receptacle placement
- Enclosed building or side/rear yard only
- Material ban
- No wood receptacles allowed
- Earliest curb set-out
- 24 hours before scheduled collection
- Latest removal
- 12 hours after collection
- First-offense fine
- $200 plus costs
Summary
In the City of Novi household refuse receptacles must be tightly covered, never made of wood, and kept in a fully enclosed building or in the rear or side yard so they do not create a nuisance for neighbors. Carts cannot go to the curb more than 24 hours before pickup and must come back in within 12 hours after collection.
(a)Specifications, maintenance. It shall be the responsibility of both the owner and the person in control of the premises to keep the premises free of any refuse unless the same be kept in receptacles which shall be tightly covered at all times with suitable covers, except for times of filling and collection, and in no case shall any such receptacles be made of wood. Such receptacles must be placed within a totally enclosed building or in an area of either the rear yard or side yard of the occupant's property so as not to create a nuisance to surrounding residents. It shall be the duty of both the owner and the occupant to keep the receptacles clean and in a sanitary condition and in a good state of repair. All receptacles shall be located and maintained on an even, hard surface base or pad of cement, asphalt, or gravel.(b)Placement for collection. No person shall place refuse receptacles on the public right-of-way or other designated collection site earlier than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled collection day. All receptacles must be removed from such areas no later than twelve (12) hours following the actual collection.
Full Breakdown
Novi City Code Sec. 21-144 puts the burden on both the property owner and whoever controls the premises to keep the property free of loose refuse unless it sits in tightly covered receptacles, which the section flatly bars from being made of wood. Receptacles have to be placed within a totally enclosed building or in the rear yard or side yard of the property so they do not create a nuisance to surrounding residents, and both the owner and occupant share the duty to keep them clean, sanitary and in good repair on an even, hard surface pad of cement, asphalt or gravel.
For collection day itself, the section sets a tight window: receptacles cannot go out onto the public right-of-way or other designated collection site more than 24 hours before the scheduled pickup, and they must be pulled back within 12 hours after collection actually happens. Owners and occupants also have to bag or seal the refuse at the curb to keep odors and spillage in check. This placement and timing rule does not apply to refuse bins, the larger one-cubic-yard-or-greater metal containers covered separately under Sec.
21-145, which carries its own enclosure and screening standards including a wall or fence at least one foot taller than the bin and never less than five feet high on three sides.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep refuse in a tightly covered, non-wood receptacle placed in an enclosed area or the side or rear yard, or setting a receptacle out more than 24 hours before pickup or leaving it out more than 12 hours after collection, violates Sec. 21-144. Under the division's penalty section, a first offense carries a $200 civil fine plus costs, and a repeat offense carries a $500 civil fine plus costs and other sanctions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I keep my trash can in Novi?
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Can my garbage can be made of wood in Novi?
Sources & Official References
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