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Updated almost 2 years ago,
Best Way to Secure Trash Bins
I'm looking for ways to protect my trash bins from vandalism.
I have two 4 families side-by-side that share a driveway with garage parking in the rear of the buildings. The trash cans and recycling bins are back there as well, sitting outside. I've never had a single issue with tenants and trash; however, there are two homeless people who walk around the community and go through people's trash while the cans are on the property, not curbside. To be clear, these are class B apartments in Pleasant Ridge. Of course, I've reported this to the police, the community safety council, neighbors, etc... My properties are not the only ones. The homeless people are searching for anything they can pawn, sell, recycle. They pull trash out and leave it on the ground, often times bringing trash from other places with them and leaving that there, too.
I have a security camera installed with a siren option that I've used while they are present. They do not care. Broad daylight for 4am in the rain. They want to dig through the trash and leave it a mess.
I'm looking for options to secure and lock up my bins. I have 13 total (9 trash and 4 recycling). If you have properties with locked trash, please share what this looks like and how it all works. I'm willing to invest or DIY -- I also want to keep things simple for my tenants, if possible. I don't think the police are going to put an end to this, so I want to eliminate the possibility all together. Photos and links help!