A tenant moves out and leaves a couch, a mattress, boxes of clothes and half a garage of things behind. For a landlord or property manager, the removal is the easy part. The part that needs care comes first. This guide covers the order of operations and the practical logistics in LA, Glendale, Pasadena and Burbank. It isn't legal advice.
The rules for a former tenant's property come first
California has specific notice rules for property left by a former tenant; follow them and check with an attorney. We're not going to summarize those rules or cite section numbers here, because the details matter and they're not ours to interpret.
What we can say from the hauling side:
- Don't let anyone start removing things "to save time." A crew can clear a unit in hours. Putting it back isn't possible.
- Separate property you may need to hold. If your attorney tells you certain items have to be stored for a period, set them aside in a locked, labeled space before the cleanout starts, and tell the crew which areas are off-limits.
- Treat personal papers and photos carefully. Even when most of a unit is clearly junk, documents, IDs and family photos are worth boxing separately.
When your attorney says you're clear to proceed, the rest of this page applies.
Document the unit before anything moves
A good record protects you and makes the job faster.
Before the cleanout
- Photograph and video every room, closet, cabinet, balcony, parking space and storage cage.
- Write a short inventory of what's left, noting anything that looks valuable or personal.
- Keep copies of every notice you sent and when.
- Mark "hold" items and areas clearly, with tape or signs, and lock them if you can.
- Note hazards the crew should know about: needles, chemicals, broken glass, pests.
- Check utilities: lights on for the crew, and the fridge unplugged ahead of time if it's being removed.
Who picks up bulky items at a multi-unit building
This is where a lot of property managers get stuck. Free city bulky pickup was designed around houses and small buildings, and larger buildings often go through private haulers.
| City | Who handles bulky items | Limits worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| City of LA | LA Sanitation, for the 1 to 4 unit homes it services[1] | Booked a business day before trash day; crews take only listed items[1],[2] |
| Glendale, 1 to 4 units | The City[3] | Three business days' notice; mattresses bagged or wrapped[3],[4] |
| Glendale, 5+ units | The building's private hauler[3] | Up to 4 free appointments a year per property, each 4 bulky items[5] |
| Pasadena, 5+ units | A private hauler[6] | Residents ask that hauler about bulky pickup[7] |
| Burbank | City collection[8] | Business items don't qualify[9]; mattresses and appliances cost a per-item fee booked by the BWP account holder[9] |
Glendale has four private haulers, each with its own zone: Athens Services, NASA Services, Southland Environmental Services and Waste Management.[5] Your building's trash bill tells you which one you have. Four items per appointment is enough for a single furniture set, but a full unit usually needs a different plan.
In Burbank, the City tells people with business items to donate, rent a temporary dumpster or call a junk removal service.[9] If you manage property as a business, plan on one of those.
Stop dumping before it starts
Turnover season brings dumping: a departing tenant, or a neighbor, sets a couch by the bins and walks away. Glendale treats bulky items left on the curb, street or premises without arranged disposal as illegal dumping and can fine for it.[10] Under state law, dumping on private property without the owner's consent is unlawful,[11] and each day the waste stays counts as a separate violation.[11]
In the City of LA, report dumping through MyLA311 or at 800-773-2489.[12] LA Sanitation crews clean known dumping sites Monday through Friday.[12]
Practical steps that help: give tenants a one-page move-out sheet that explains how bulky pickup works at your building, light the trash area well, and clear anything dumped quickly so it doesn't attract more.
What tenants leave that needs a special route
Most of a left-behind unit is ordinary furniture and bags. A few items can't go in a dumpster or a bin.
Refrigerators and appliances. In the City of LA, LASAN picks up metal appliances free for homes with its curbside service, with one business day's notice; fridge and freezer doors must come off.[2] Refrigerant must be removed by a certified appliance recycler, or by an EPA-certified technician, before disposal.[13],[14] If the fridge belongs to the unit, check whether it's being replaced before anyone hauls it.
Mattresses. California's Bye Bye Mattress program takes mattresses and box springs at participating drop-off sites.[15] Bed frames, sofa beds and mattress toppers aren't covered by the free program.[16]
Tires. Tires are banned from the trash statewide.[17] City of LA residents can drop off up to 4 tires a year, no rims, at a LASAN yard with a photo ID and a current utility bill.[18]
Paint, cleaners and batteries. These go to a S.A.F.E. Center or PaintCare site, not a bin.[19],[20] Batteries are banned from all household bins.[17] Note that a S.A.F.E. Center asks for the address the waste came from and caps each trip at 15 gallons or 125 pounds.[19]
Needles. Home sharps can't go in any trash, recycling or roll-off container.[21] Warn the crew if you've seen any.
Donation, where it's allowed
Once you're clear to dispose of a former tenant's property, usable furniture can still go to a charity rather than a landfill. Keep your attorney's guidance in mind for anything of value. A few pickup programs work well for apartment turnovers:
- St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles picks up for free, but items must be outside at street level and labeled; loose items aren't accepted and crews don't go inside.[22]
- Habitat for Humanity of Greater LA picks up for a fee, with items on the ground floor, in a garage or carport, or at the curb.[23] It won't take mattresses or anything broken or missing parts.[24]
- The Salvation Army schedules free pickups by ZIP code,[25] and what it accepts varies by location, so confirm before you book.[25]
Donation pickups usually book days or weeks out. If the unit needs to turn over this week, factor that in.
Boxes and bags from a turnover
If you manage a small City of LA building that LASAN services, its Move-In/Move-Out extra pickup takes boxes and bags on trash day with a business day's notice.[26] Each bag, box or bundle has to be 30 pounds or less and no bigger than 2 by 3 feet, with cardboard flattened and tied.[26] Tenants who are moving in can use it too, which helps keep the bins from overflowing on the first weekend.
Turnover logistics: parking, carts and timing
A cleanout at an apartment building goes faster when the truck can get close.
- Street sweeping. Posted LA sweeping routes are swept every other week, and vehicles in restricted areas get cited.[27] Schedule around the posted day.
- Burbank curbs. A yellow curb allows loading of materials for up to 20 minutes between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. unless posted otherwise.[28]
- Pasadena nights. Overnight street parking is banned from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. citywide,[29] so a trailer can't be left on the street overnight.
- Bins. In the City of LA, bins go out before 6 a.m. on collection day and back in by 8 p.m.[30] Don't overfill the building's bins with cleanout bags; a lid that won't close can mean the bin isn't collected.[30]
If the unit is getting a remodel next
Removing a tenant's belongings is junk removal. Tearing out cabinets, flooring or drywall is construction and demolition debris, and it's regulated differently.
Keep the two jobs separate and ask your contractor who's hauling the debris.
When to call a hauler
City pickup is a fine option for a single couch at a small building. A hauler usually makes more sense when:
- the unit has to be rent-ready by a set date;
- the building has 5 or more units and the hauler's bulky allowance doesn't cover a full unit;
- the property is a business account that doesn't qualify for City bulky pickup;
- the load is mixed: furniture, bags, a mattress, a TV, a garage full of odds and ends;
- the unit is upstairs with no elevator, or parking is tight.
We're a family-run crew based on Victory Blvd in North Hollywood, working with property owners, managers and agents across the Valley, Glendale and Pasadena. Once you're clear to proceed, send photos of each room and we'll text back a price and the earliest opening.
As a real estate agent, I’ve worked with several junk removal companies, and Legacy Junk Removal truly stands out. Their team is incredibly professional, reliable, and efficient. They show up on time, communicate clearly, and get the job