Los Angeles plans to raise trash collection fees next year

For the first time in 17 years, Los Angeles is on track to raise trash collection fees amid a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall.

The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan on Friday to begin the process of increasing fees, set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

The plan would impact approximately 743,000 households and another 474,000 residences that receive bulky-item collection services. City officials still need to adopt an ordinance for any rate adjustment to go into effect.

The Bureau of Sanitation requested raising the monthly fee for single-family homes and duplex buildings from $36.32 to $55.94, a 54% increase.

The rate for apartments with three to four units would go from $24.33 per month to $55.94, a 130% increase.

Customers' bi-monthly bill from the Department of Water and Power could jump to $111.90 if the rate adjustment moves forward. DWP only provides billing services, while sanitation establishes fees for trash collection and sewage services.

The rate adjustment would add another 18% increase over the next four fiscal years, reaching $65.93 a month by the 2029-30 fiscal year for single-family homes, duplex buildings and small apartment buildings. 

The trash collection program has operated at a loss that requires a subsidy from the general fund, according to the Bureau of Sanitation. Inflation and expenditures such as staff salaries, vehicle and equipment maintenance, as well as overhead costs have all attributed to the need for the rate adjustment, the department said. 

The new rates would put the city on track with neighboring cities such as Burbank, Culver City, Long Beach, and Santa Monica -- but still be on the lower end.