Garbage room of a condominium: what are the rules?

Verified 22 March 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

In a condominium, the place of storage of household waste (waste bin room) must comply with a certain number of rules (technical, sanitary...). In the event of a dispute, various remedies are available.

In a condominium, the garbage room must meet the following characteristics:

Be enclosed and ventilated
Have doors that allow tight closure
Have waterproof and non-flammable walls (walls and floor)
Prevent insect and rodent intrusion
Have a washing station (taps) and a water drainage system
Do not communicate directly with accommodation or commercial premises (restaurant, food sales)

If the layout of the building does not allow for the creation of a garbage bin, the garbage containers can be settled in the least inconvenient location for the occupants. This location cannot be the access point to the stairwell.

A point of water and a sewage disposal must then be provided to enable them to be cleaned.

Please note

the health regulations applicable to your department may include specific provisions in addition of these minimum general characteristics.

The bin room must be kept clean, as must the garbage containers settled in it.

The maintenance and cleaning of the room and the trays must be carried out in such a way that no odor can penetrate into the accommodation and commercial premises of the building.

These tasks are performed either by the custodian (or caretaker) of the condominium or by an employee mandated by the condominium trustee.

Building occupants must have access to the garbage bin (or garbage bin if there is no room) every day, including if collection is not daily.

There must be a sufficient number of trays to accommodate the waste to avoid overloading.

The trays must be equipped with a lid.

They must be stained to allow for the selective sorting of household waste.

Warning

the co-ownership rules may lay down specific rules for use and access to the waste-bin room (timetables, use of a key, etc.). The condominium trustee shall be responsible for the application of this Regulation.

In case of nuisance related to ill-intentioned co-owners (for example, dumping of garbage bins next to the bins), you can notify the co-ownership trustee by any means. The trustee will inform the condominium pool.

If the nuisance comes from the fact that the waste bin does not respect the technical and sanitary characteristics, you can contact the municipal health and hygiene service of the town hall. This service will be able to take measures to bring the premises into compliance.