How do you handle trash in your large rural STRs?

Question

What do you guys do for garbage? My situation is this.

1. Large rural STRs with 12-20 person groups.

2. Community has compactors that guests can take garbage to for free essentially

3. Can't really leave outside since bears destroy any bear-proof bin I make (made 2 so far, perhaps I should use metal instead of wood?)

In the past I used to ask my cleaning crew to take out the garbage at the end of their stay, but my cleaning crews are pissed and are getting more and more upset. They are also charging $100 a pop now, and one threatened to quit over it. If a crew didn't take out garbage for whatever reason, the next set of guests would leave a bad review from the smell and overfilled bins.

So now I ask guests to take out their own garbage - but of course they don't. I'd say 25% do. The other 25% warn me they 'simply can't, our cars are too small!' and the other 50% never say a word. I have multiple message reminders, it's written on laminated sheets on the fridge, and all guests are notified when they check into the community about this issue.

Any thoughts about compliance? Or do you guys just hire a handyman to take care of it for a fee? I tried getting curbside pickup but 1 house doesn't allow it, and the other house the garbage bins get attacked by bears overnight, or the garbage men don't come at all, or there aren't enough bins.

Isaac Pepper · Answer

@Scott Kunz when I was in highschool I would take care of this issue for a man who had STR across the road from where I lived. I added another bin for the guests to leave their empty aluminum cans in and made hundreds more during that time.

Perhaps there is a 16-2? Year old nearby with a pickup who'd be happy to make a win win out of this.

Hope this helps!

Perhaps there is a 16-2? Year old nearby with a pickup who'd be happy to make a win win out of this.

Hope this helps!

Adam Martin · Answer

If you incentivized guests to do it I bet a lot would.  If it is costing you 100 to get it done, offering guests anything under that to get them to take their own trash out would be money in your pocket.  While plenty of people won't care you may have better luck either letting guests know that the trash will come out of their deposit if they don't take it out, this may lower your ratings though.  Another options is to offer say $50 back at the end of their visit in addition to their deposit if trash is taken out.  Some will take it some won't but I bet you would get more than you do now.

Suzette T. · Answer

We would love this at the cabin we visit!!!

John Underwood · Answer

The occasional really dirty house and occasioanl 2 trips to the dump make the cleaners appreciate the clean house and a few bags of trash. That's what I tell them when they complain about the tough cleanings.

Paul Sandhu · Answer

I've had some really bad clean outs from LTRs.  Put everything in a dump truck, dug a hole in a pasture with my dozer, dumped and burned it, covered it up with dirt.

Mike Anderson · Answer

Cleaners take my trash. We did a bunch of renovations and we drove all that stuff to the dump. Is what it is in the mountains, but the cleaners mostly in our area have pickups and the beds are filled with garbage bags.

Jeffery Wilen · Answer

I agree with John, make it part of your cleaners job and pay them what’s necessary to make it happen. Then pass this on to the guests. You’ll find that most don’t even blink an eye. Especially is it’s like another $50 spread out over 12-20 people. Heck, we pay over $100 for 4-6 person units. I was reluctant at first to pass a full cleaning fee to guests, as it was almost the cost of a  one night stay.  But when we did increase it to cover our costs, there was no decline in bookings.

Michael Baum · Answer

Hey @Scott Kunz. Our home is pretty rural, but we do have weekly trash pickup. I ask the guests to put all the trash in the outside bins. If it is trash day, I ask them to put them out. So far none have balked at doing that.

For back to backs, my cleaners take the trash to the dump area about 10 minutes from town. There are hardly any cleaners in our area. I am lucky to get one at all.

Your situation sounds different. I agree with @John Underwood, get it written in to the contract and pay them. Pass it on like @Jeffery Wilen said. We charge $225 to clean our 2700 sqft lake house.

Now @Isaac Pepper has a great idea. You could probably find a kid to take care of the trash. Pay them after the work is done.

Suzette T. · Answer

We experienced this at a very rural vacation home. There were outside bins on-site however the larger cabins on the property had filled them up. Very fancy heavy duty metal. Hauling the trash out to the small town square/center took-up a good bit of time and planning and the small rural town had odd days and short hours of operation - it was definitely a drawback. Between that and  no available laundry room I'm always surprised we go back! ha!

I think it's great that you are looking into new solutions.

In general people on vacation are packed to the brim and hauling trash without a truck is such a.... situation. I can see both sides here.

How do you handle trash in your large rural STRs?

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