Almost all HOA management companies have a regular community inspection schedule as part of their management duties when caring for a property. Every community is different and so are the governing covenant documents as well. Out of all the restrictive covenants that we help our communities enforce, it seems one stands out amongst them as the most bothersome to many homeowners. I am, of course, talking about the rules and restrictions regarding trash can and recycle receptacles. Many HOA communities have restrictions specifically regarding the placement of trash and recycle bins and the timing of which they are allowed to be out. Recently this topic has become more of an issue specifically because many Home Owners Associations are now on what we call a “Single Stream” system of recycling, requiring an additional, large receptacle. So now most communities have two different containers to deal with. It is a shared feeling amongst many homeowners that this specific type of violation is petty and unimportant. Many don’t understand why their documents restrict the location, or time in which their receptacle can be out for pick-up. The most common language we see in our documents usually states that the receptacles “cannot be in public view”. This usually means that trash bins must be completely hidden from the view from the street. Some communities of course have different rules or regulations, but most have some form or variation of this rule. In order to comply with this type of regulation, many homeowners place their trash cans in their garage area or behind their back yard fence gate. This way they are completely hidden and out of the way. Believe it or not, there are several good reasons for having these kinds of restrictions. Below are the reasons that developers and lawyers involved in the initial community setup include trash and recycle bin restrictions.