Highland, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must subscribe
- Every owner and every occupant of developed property
- Property types covered
- Residential, commercial and industrial
- Late invoice
- Delinquent 30 days after mailing, with a 10 percent penalty
- Ongoing interest
- One and one-half percent per month until paid
- Lien hearing notice
- Mailed to owners not less than 15 days before hearing
- Rental units
- Owner of record primarily responsible for fees
Summary
In the City of Highland, California, every owner and every occupant of developed property, whether residential, commercial or industrial, must arrange regular refuse collection with the city's authorized agent. Living on a property with no service in force is unlawful and a public nuisance under Highland Municipal Code § 8.12.050.
A. Every person who owns and every person who occupies any developed real property within the city whether at a residential, commercial, or industrial location, or otherwise shall make or cause to be made with the city's authorized agent, appropriate arrangements for regular refuse collection services and it is unlawful for any such person to fail, refuse or neglect to do so. ... ... C. It is further unlawful, and a public nuisance, for any person to occupy or inhabit any property within the city for which appropriate arrangements have not been made and kept in full force and effect for regular refuse collection services.
Full Breakdown
The duty in Highland Municipal Code § 8.12.050(A) lands on two groups at once: every person who owns and every person who occupies developed real property in the City of Highland. Subsection B removes the double burden for tenants. An occupant counts as compliant when the owner has made the arrangements for every portion of the property the occupant uses. Subsection C goes further than a billing rule. It makes it unlawful, and a public nuisance, to occupy or inhabit any property in the city where arrangements for regular refuse collection have not been made and kept in full force and effect.
Who provides the service is set elsewhere in Chapter 8.12. Under § 8.12.020 the city can furnish integrated waste management through city employees, a contractor franchised or licensed by the city, or an agreement with another local agency, and § 8.12.030 lets the City Council set the hours, days and frequency of collection by resolution. Residential and commercial franchises are awarded by council resolution under §§ 8.12.070 and 8.12.080.
Paying is part of the mandate. Under § 8.12.110, anyone required to arrange collection is liable for the fees whether or not the service is used. For rental units, § 8.12.120 makes the property owner of record primarily responsible and the occupant secondarily responsible. Residential fees are due monthly in advance and become delinquent on the tenth day of the following month, unless the council places all fees on property tax bills. Under § 8.12.140 an invoice unpaid 30 days after mailing is delinquent, carries a 10 percent penalty, and then adds one and one-half percent per month. Unpaid fees can become a special assessment and a lien on the parcel under § 8.12.150, after a City Council hearing with notice mailed to owners not less than 15 days before the hearing.
Self-hauling is the only way out of a subscription. Section 8.12.350(D) lets the city set procedures by resolution, and a resident who is not on the list of self-haulers must subscribe for service.
Violations & Fines
Failing to arrange service, or occupying property that has no service in force, violates § 8.12.050 and is a public nuisance the city can abate under § 8.12.210. The penalty section of Chapter 8.12 was repealed by Ord. 370, so Highland's general penalty in § 1.24.010 applies: a misdemeanor, or an infraction when the city attorney or district attorney prosecutes it that way, with each day a separate offense. An administrative citation under Chapter 2.56 is also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do renters have to sign up for trash service in the City of Highland?
Can I skip service if I produce very little trash?
What happens if I fall behind on my Highland trash bill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Highland
California rules heatmap·Compare Highland to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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