NYC agency · Waste & sidewalks
Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
Trash and recycling rules, set-out times, commercial carting, and dirty-sidewalk / failure-to-clean summonses.
What DSNY regulates
The Department of Sanitation sets the rules for how buildings store and set out trash and recycling — including the newer containerization and set-out time rules — and enforces sidewalk cleanliness. Owners are responsible for the sidewalk in front of their building.
What owners get from DSNY
- Dirty sidewalk / failure to clean summonses.
- Improper set-out, wrong containers, or recycling violations.
- Snow and ice removal violations (sidewalks must be cleared within set hours).
- Commercial waste-zone / private-carter compliance for commercial buildings.
How to look it up
DSNY summonses are adjudicated at OATH. Look up hearings and penalties through the OATH/ECB system — see our OATH guide.
Reviewed against current NYC agency guidance by the NYC Building Compliance editorial team. Found something out of date? Tell us. Informational only — not legal or engineering advice.
See your building’s open DSNY violations right now.
Look up violations →Primary sources
NYC Building Compliance is an independent resource, not the City of New York. Rules and dollar amounts change — always confirm against the official pages above or a licensed professional before acting.