Most managers who are unhappy with a valet trash provider stay anyway, because they're worried about the changeover: a missed night, confused residents, and a week of complaints at the leasing office. A planned switch avoids all three.
1. Read your current agreement first
- Term end date and auto-renewal language
- Notice period (often 30–60 days before renewal)
- Termination-for-cause terms and any cure period
- Who owns the doorstep containers, and whether you owe anything for them
Missing the notice window is the most common reason properties get stuck for another year. Put the date on your calendar now, even if you're not sure you'll switch.
2. Get the walkthrough and proposal done before you give notice
You should have a signed proposal, a start date and a container delivery date before notifying your current vendor.
3. Prepare residents
- A resident notice with the new set-out window and rules, sent 7–10 days before the start date
- New containers delivered (and old containers collected, if the current vendor owns them)
- A clear number for residents to report a missed pickup
4. Back-to-back nights
The new provider's first night should be the night after the old provider's last night — no gap. Ask the new provider to have a supervisor on site for the first nights.
5. Measure the first 30 days
Ask for the morning reports from night one, and track complaints at the office. You'll know within a month whether the switch was worth it.
Want the numbers for your community? Use the NOI calculator or request a proposal.
More guides
- How Valet Trash Pricing Works for Apartment Communities
- What a Valet Trash Contract Should Include
- Valet Trash Resident Rules: A Template for Property Managers
- How to Stop Illegal Dumping at Apartment Dumpster Corrals
- The Apartment Trash-Out Checklist: Turn Units Days Faster
- Apartment Dryer Vent Cleaning: What Property Managers Need to Know
- Apartment Storage Room Cleanouts Before Inspections