Getting rid of furniture and trash when you move in NYC

In New York City you can put most furniture at the curb for free. No appointment is needed, and the limit is up to six large items per collection day. The exceptions trip people up on move-out week. Mattresses and box springs must be sealed in plastic or you risk a fine of up to $300. Fridges and air conditioners need a separate DSNY appointment. TVs, computers and other e-waste can't go in the trash at all.

These rules come from the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and apply to buildings DSNY collects from. If your building uses a private carter, ask the super or managing agent for the building's own rules first.

The basic rule for large items

DSNY treats anything too big to fit in a bin or bag as a large (bulk) item. Which day you put it out depends on what it's made of:

• Mostly metal or rigid plastic (a metal bed frame, a plastic patio chair, a bare dishwasher): set out with your recycling.
• Everything else (wood dressers, particleboard bookcases, upholstered sofas): set out on your trash-only day, not your recycling day.

Put large items out the night before collection. Take furniture apart where you can, and bundle smaller pieces with tape or twine. Glass tabletops, mirrors and windows can't be recycled. Tape large glass and double-bag broken glass, then set it out with trash. Look up your days with DSNY's collection schedule tool before you plan move-out.

Item-by-item disposal table

Mattresses and box springs

DSNY requires mattresses and box springs to be sealed in plastic bags to stop bed bugs spreading. Set them out on your trash-only day, not your recycling day. If you don't dispose of one correctly, DSNY says you may be fined up to $300. Mattress disposal bags are sold at hardware stores, moving supply shops and online. Buy one before move week, because a queen mattress won't fit in a contractor bag.

If you have had bed bugs, tell your mover and your new landlord's super. See bed bugs in NYC apartments for the landlord's duties.

Fridges, freezers and air conditioners

1. 1

   Check the refrigerant sticker

   Some newer appliances use R600a or R32 refrigerant (yellow triangle with black flames). DSNY cannot collect these. Contact the manufacturer or a private carter.
2. 2

   Book a CFC removal appointment

   Call 311 or use DSNY’s online request. Appointments can’t be anonymous, and you can schedule up to 10 appliances per appointment. The service is free for residents only.
3. 3

   Make it safe

   Remove hinges and locks from refrigerators and freezers so a child or animal can’t get trapped.
4. 4

   Set it out the night before

   Place it at the curb after 6pm the night before your appointment, with the back facing the street.
5. 5

   Leave it for recycling pickup

   DSNY staff remove the gas and tag the appliance. Tagged items are picked up on your next recycling day. Untagged ones are not.

TVs, computers and other electronics

DSNY says it's illegal to put certain electronics in the trash or recycling under New York State's electronic equipment recycling law. Covered items include computers and laptops, monitors, keyboards and mice, printers and scanners, TVs, DVD players and cable boxes, phones and tablets, game consoles, and the cords that go with them. Most household appliances, power tools, radios and digital cameras are not covered, though they may have other rules.

Legal ways to get rid of e-waste:

• A retail or nonprofit drop-off location that accepts e-waste
• A DSNY community e-waste event or a SAFE Disposal event
• A DSNY Special Waste Drop-Off site
• ecycleNYC, a free in-building program for apartment buildings with 10 or more units. Ask your super if your building is enrolled.
• A manufacturer take-back program

Donate before you dump

A lot of move-out furniture is perfectly usable. Before you haul it to the curb, try:

• Clothing and linens: DSNY runs textile drop-off sites in each borough, open Thursday to Saturday, 8am to 4pm. Items should be clean, dry and bagged. DSNY notes these drop-offs aren't tax deductible. Thrift stores and retail take-back programs also accept textiles.
• Building materials and fixtures: DSNY points to reuse groups such as donateNYC Exchange, Big Reuse and Habitat for Humanity NYC ReStore.
• Furniture: offer it to neighbors through your building, or list it free. If you are using Roofy to find your next place, you can also post a listing when you sell or rent out a home.

Timing your move-out trash

City setout rules apply to move-out trash too. Bins can go out after 6pm and bags after 8pm, and everything must be out by midnight before collection. Large items go out the night before your trash or recycling day. With a six-item limit per collection day, a full apartment may take two or three collection days. Plan it into your moving checklist. Ask your building whether movers can leave boxes and packing material. Many co-ops and condos set this out in their move rules alongside the mover's certificate of insurance.

Still deciding what to keep? The storage vs bigger apartment calculator compares the cost of keeping things against a larger place, and the moving box calculator sizes the rest of your packing.