Boise and Ada County property owners and community managers: simplify solid waste and recycling compliance while boosting resident satisfaction. National Doorstep’s valet trash & recycling service is designed to align with Boise City Code Title 10, Chapter 4 (Solid Waste Services), the City’s Curb It Business & Apartment Programs, and Ada County Code Title 5, Chapter 2 (Solid Waste), including Ordinance No. 938 (containerization and mandatory residential collection in unincorporated Ada County). The result is cleaner enclosures, less contamination, and inspector-friendly documentation for your multifamily communities.
In Boise, multi-family properties with four (4) or more dwelling units are treated as commercial solid waste customers and are expected to use commercial trash and recycling service, with adequate, screened space for containers under the City’s Solid Waste Design Standards and recent Ord. 26-25 updates. In unincorporated Ada County, all residential premises that can be served by the County’s contractor must participate in mandatory solid waste collection and keep waste in approved sanitary containers. While there is currently no explicit apartment recycling mandate with a unit-trigger threshold, both jurisdictions strongly encourage recycling and organics diversion for multi-family properties.
- NOI & Property Value Lift: Cleaner, code-aligned waste and recycling areas improve curb appeal, reduce overflow, and support higher resident retention in competitive Boise and Treasure Valley markets.
- Resident Convenience & Cleanliness: Doorstep collection reduces corral crowding, bin room overflow, litter, and recycling contamination — especially at peak move-in / move-out periods.
- Compliance Simplified: Program design that follows Boise Solid Waste Services Ordinance (Title 10, Ch. 4), Boise Solid Waste Design Standards, and Ada County Solid Waste Ordinance 938 for containerization and safe handling.
- Code-Backed Design: Inspector-friendly container layouts, signage, resident education, and documentation that help demonstrate good-faith compliance if questions arise about carts, enclosures, or landfill use.
At a Glance: City of Boise vs. Ada County (Unincorporated)
City of Boise
- Mandate Type: Mandatory Solid Waste Service for residential premises, with commercial trash and recycling service required for most multi-family properties (4+ units) and businesses. The City operates robust Business & Apartment Recycling and Organic Waste Recycling programs, but currently does not impose a citywide mandate that all multifamily residences offer recycling to residents.
- Applicability Threshold (Multifamily): Under Boise City Code 10-4-3-1 (Commercial Trash and Recycling Service) and Solid Waste Design Standards Policy 1, multi-family properties with four (4) or more dwelling units are treated as commercial sites and must use commercial solid waste service, including properly sized trash and recycling containers.
- Duties (Boise Multifamily / Commercial):
- Subscribe to appropriate commercial trash (and where offered, recycling and organics) services.
- Provide adequate, screened space for trash and recycling containers in accordance with Boise’s Solid Waste Design Standards and Ord. 26-25 container-location requirements.
- Stage containers for collection according to City and hauler rules (cart limits, lids closed, no prohibited materials).
- Prevent litter, nuisance conditions, and illegal dumping at enclosures and collection areas.
- Policy Direction: The Boise Public Works Commission has publicly discussed expanding access to recycling for multifamily residents, including concepts like pairing recycling capacity with trash at large communities and potentially mandating recycling for larger properties in the future — but a formal apartment-recycling mandate with a specified unit threshold has not yet been adopted.
- Key City Links:
Boise Curb It – Business & Apartment Recycling Programs
Organic Waste Recycling for Businesses & Apartments
Boise City Code 10-4-2 – Residential Solid Waste Service
Boise City Code 10-4-3-1 – Commercial Trash & Recycling Service
Boise Solid Waste Design Standards (Policy 1, PDF)
Ord. 26-25 – Container Location & Access Requirements
Boise City Code of Ordinances (American Legal)
Ada County (Unincorporated Areas)
- Mandate Type: Mandatory Residential Solid Waste Collection and Mandatory Containerization in unincorporated Ada County under Ada County Code Title 5, Chapter 2 and Ordinance No. 938. All qualifying residential premises must be provided solid waste collection service by the County’s contractor and must keep waste in approved sanitary containers.
- Applicability: All owners of residential premises in unincorporated Ada County that can be served by the County’s contractor are required to participate in and pay for solid waste collection service, unless an approved exemption or suspension applies. Multi-family properties may be served through the County’s residential program or via separate commercial arrangements, but the ordinance does not create a specific apartment-recycling mandate or unit threshold.
- Program Duties (Unincorporated Residential / Multifamily):
- Maintain weekly solid waste collection service through the County’s designated contractor (currently Hardin Sanitation) or approved alternative.
- Ensure all trash, recycling, and yard waste (where available) is contained in approved carts; loose bags or materials outside carts are not collected.
- Keep containers in good, sanitary condition, with lids closed to prevent scattering, odors, and pests.
- Follow Ada County rules for hazardous waste, bulky items, and landfill use.
- Enforcement: Under Ada County Code 5-2-10 (Prohibited Acts, Conditions & Penalties), violations of solid waste requirements — including container rules and disposal restrictions — are misdemeanors. Each violation is subject to criminal penalties under Idaho Code 18-113, and if not corrected within three (3) days, can be treated as a new and separate offense. County health or solid waste officers may issue citations tied to the Solid Waste Ordinance.
- Key County & Contractor Links:
Ada County Solid Waste Ordinance – Summary
Ada County Code 5-2-4-1 – Mandatory Residential Collection Services & Fees
Ada County Code 5-2-4-2 / 5-2-4-3 – Sanitary Containers & Temporary Storage
Ada County Code 5-2-10 – Prohibited Acts, Conditions & Penalties
Ada County Recycling & Cart Rules
Hardin Sanitation – Ada County Residential Trash & Recycling
Fines & Penalties Snapshot – Boise & Ada County
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City of Boise – Solid Waste / Recycling Non-Compliance:
Violations of Boise’s solid waste and related ordinances are enforced under the City’s general penalty provisions in Boise City Code Title 1, Chapter 4. Unless a different penalty is specified, any violation of the Boise City Code may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor and is punishable by:
• A fine of up to $1,000 per offense, and/or
• Up to six (6) months in the county jail,
with each day a violation continues potentially treated as a separate offense.
In practice, solid waste violations typically move through the City’s code-enforcement process (warnings, corrections, citations) before maximum penalties are considered, but communities that ignore repeated notices can face escalating consequences. -
Ada County – Solid Waste / Containerization Non-Compliance:
Under Ada County Code 5-2-10, violations of the Solid Waste Ordinance (including prohibited disposal, misuse of disposal sites, and failure to follow container rules) are misdemeanors. If a violation is not remedied within three (3) days after citation or arrest, it may be treated as a new and separate offense. Penalties are imposed under Idaho Code 18-113, which allows:
• A fine of up to $1,000 per offense, and/or
• Up to six (6) months in the county jail.
A deputized Ada County Health Protection Officer or other authorized official may issue misdemeanor citations for Solid Waste Ordinance violations. Chronic non-compliance can lead to repeated citations, court orders, and added costs tied to cleanup or abatement. - Tip: By maintaining service contracts, enclosure layouts, container photos, and a log of resident education around recycling and contamination, you give inspectors a clear, documented story of good-faith compliance — the best way to avoid repeat citations and daily misdemeanor exposure.
Property Manager Compliance Checklist (Boise & Ada County Multifamily)
| Task | Action / Requirement | Authoritative Links |
|---|---|---|
| ☑ Confirm Jurisdiction & Code Framework |
Determine where your community sits and which code applies:
• Inside Boise city limits: Follow Boise City Code Title 10, Ch. 4 (Solid Waste Services), including commercial service requirements for multi-family properties with four (4)+ units, plus any site-specific design approvals. • In unincorporated Ada County: Solid waste service and fees are governed by Ada County Code Title 5, Ch. 2, including mandatory residential collection and container rules. • In other cities (Meridian, Garden City, Eagle, etc.): Local municipal codes and contracts apply; use this Boise / Ada County page as a model but confirm local ordinances. |
Boise City Code – Solid Waste (Title 10) Ada County Code – Title 5, Ch. 2 Solid Waste Ada County Solid Waste Ordinance Overview |
| ☑ Subscribe to Required Service (Trash, Recycling, Organics) |
Verify that your community has active, documented services that match your property type:
• Boise multifamily (4+ units): Use approved commercial solid waste service (trash, recycling, and organics where available), consistent with 10-4-3-1 and Curb It program offerings. • Unincorporated Ada County: Ensure mandatory residential service is active with the County’s contractor and that service levels meet your waste and recycling volumes. • Maintain copies of current service agreements, invoices, and route details in a digital or physical compliance file. |
Boise Code 10-4-3-1 – Commercial Trash & Recycling Boise Business & Apartment Programs Ada County 5-2-4-1 – Mandatory Residential Collection |
| ☑ Containers, Enclosure Layout & Signage |
Design “inspection-ready” enclosures and collection areas:
• Size trash and recycling containers (and organics where offered) to prevent overflow between collections. • Provide screened, accessible space for containers that meets Boise’s Solid Waste Design Standards or Ada County siting rules. • Clearly label containers with what residents can and cannot• Keep lids closed and areas free from windblown materials, illegal dumping, and nuisance conditions. |
Boise Solid Waste Design Standards (PDF) Ord. 26-25 – Container Location Ada County – Sanitary Container Requirements |
| ☑ Resident Education & Contamination Control |
Build a simple, recurring communication plan for residents:
• Provide written instructions at move-in and at least a couple of times each year about how to use trash, recycling, and organics correctly. • Use door hangers, email blasts, resident portal messages, and on-site signage to reinforce “what goes where.” • Focus on key problem items (plastic bags, bulky cardboard, bagged recyclables) that commonly cause contamination and callbacks. • Save copies (PDFs, screenshots, print runs) of resident-facing messages as proof of good-faith contamination control. |
Boise Curb It – Recycling Resources Ada County – Recycling & Cart Guidance Multifamily Recycling Best Practices (PDF) |
| ☑ Documentation & Avoiding Daily Misdemeanor Exposure |
Create an “inspection-ready” record for your property:
• Current trash, recycling, and organics service agreements and invoices. • Photos of enclosures, signage, and container labels showing clean, orderly conditions. • Logs of overflow or contamination issues and how your team corrected them. • Copies of all resident education materials and the dates they were delivered. With this documentation, you can usually resolve concerns through cooperation with inspectors rather than escalating to repeated citations or misdemeanor cases. |
Boise – General Misdemeanor Penalty (1-4-1) Ada County – Solid Waste Penalties (5-2-10) Idaho Code 18-113 – State Misdemeanor Penalty |
| ☑ Turn Compliance into a Leasing Advantage |
Use your recycling and composting story to attract and retain residents:
• Highlight clean, well-managed enclosures and valet recycling in your marketing and tours. • Track diversion wins (cardboard, organics, glass) and share them in community newsletters. • Position your community as “Boise- and Ada-ready” for future policy changes that may strengthen multifamily recycling requirements. |
Boise Curb It – Program Hub Ada County Trash Billing & Programs |
Need a fast compliance check in Boise or Ada County? Request a Free Compliance Audit for your Boise or unincorporated Ada County property — we’ll right-size your containers, map corral layouts, draft resident education, and prepare inspection-ready documentation so you can reduce risk, protect NOI, and give residents a cleaner, easier recycling experience.
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