A WM collection truck makes its rounds in a Fort Worth neighborhood to collect recycling bin contents set out on curbside.
Photo courtesy of City of Fort Worth
Trash problems aren’t always as simple as taking the garbage to the curb.
Maybe your apartment dumpster hasn’t been emptied in days, or maybe a neighbor keeps tossing bags into your garbage can without asking.
Depending on the situation, Texas law may give you options or spell out what’s allowed.
Here’s a quick guide to some of the trash-related rules Texans should know.
Landlords in Texas are required to keep rental units free from hazards like rodents and bugs that can result from overflowing trash at an apartment complex, under the state’s repair and remedy statute.Tenants who want to force action must be current on rent and submit a repair request by certified mail, giving the landlord roughly seven days to respond before escalating.Reporting the problem to a city code compliance department is often the fastest fix, since municipalities can levy daily fines on landlords — Fort Worth code, for example, requires multifamily properties to have trash collected at least weekly.Throwing a bag into someone else’s garbage can without permission can violate the Texas Health and Safety Code and can also be treated as theft of service, since someone else is paying for the pickup.Penalties for illegal dumping scale with the amount and type of waste, and cases involving hazardous materials, commercial waste or large volumes can be charged as felonies carrying fines of $50,000 or more.Homeowners dealing with a repeat offender are advised to document dates, photos and vehicle details before reporting the issue through city channels in Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas, including 311 and dedicated illegal dumping hotlines.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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Tiffani is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions about life in North Texas. Tiffani mainly writes about Texas laws and health news.