Somerville, MA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- City collection fee
- $150.00 per unit, paid annually in advance
- Applies to
- dwellings with 7 or more units
- Mandatory options
- city pickup, licensed hauler, or licensed disposal site
- Fee-change notice
- 90 days advance notice from the mayor
- Court penalty
- up to $300.00 per day of violation
Summary
Buildings with seven or more units that want city trash pickup pay $150 per unit annually under Sec. 11-35, and every one of Sec. 11-31's timing, placement and container rules applies just as it does to single-family homes. Owners must use city pickup, a licensed private hauler, or a licensed disposal site, no other option.
(a) All dwellings of seven or more units desirous of having their refuse, as defined in section 11-31, collected by the city shall be subject to a fee of $150.00 per unit payable annually in advance. All of the definitions, time, place and manner restrictions and limitations regarding household trash and rubbish collection, as set forth in section 11-31, shall apply to such dwellings. (b) It is mandatory that all trash from such dwellings shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of sections 8-16, 11-31, 11-34, 11-36, 11-41, and 11-42 by using either the collection service provided by the city, a duly licensed private trash collection service, or by dumping at any sanitary disposal site approved and licensed pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 111, Section 150A of the General Laws. (c) A violation of this section, disposed of pursuant to the noncriminal disposition procedures of Chapter 40, Section 21D of the General Laws, shall be subject to a penalty in accordance with the provisions of section 1-11. Any judicial enforcement pursuant to complaint shall carry a fine of up to $300.00 per day for each day of violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Ordinances: Revision - CodeBank PDF Post).
Full Breakdown
Section 11-35 covers trash and rubbish collection for dwellings with seven or more units. set-out window, the 50-pound/64-gallon receptacle cap, the bulk-item rules) applies to it exactly as it applies to smaller residential properties. Subsection (b) makes disposal mandatory: owners of these larger buildings must use either the city's collection service, a duly licensed private trash hauler, or dump at a sanitary disposal site licensed under Chapter 111, Section 150A of the General Laws. There is no option to simply let trash accumulate outside those three channels.
The mayor or a delegate must give affected property owners at least 90 days' notice before the per-unit fee changes, under subsection (d). 00 per day for each day the violation continues. Anyone found in violation must also remove the improperly disposed trash and correct the condition at their own expense, or reimburse the city if it does the cleanup instead.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 11-35 is handled through the noncriminal disposition procedure of Chapter 40, Section 21D of the General Laws and, if pursued in court, carries a fine of up to $300.00 per day for each day the violation continues. The violator must also remove any improperly disposed trash at their own expense or reimburse the city for doing so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do large apartment buildings get city trash pickup in Somerville?
Can a large Somerville building skip city pickup and use its own hauler?
What happens if a large building violates Somerville's trash disposal rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Somerville
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