My landlord recently sent a letter to our apartment (and probably every apartment) stating that they will charge us $25 per bag for improperly disposed bags of garbage. In the letter, they stated that bags of garbage on our balcony, or fenced in patio area (for my apartment it is a balcony) would apply to this charge. Do they have the right to do this?

Our balcony is not visible from the street, so the only way they could see bags of garbage on it would be through the apartment itself.

The apartment is in Gainesville, and is designed for students of the University of Florida (all of us are) if this matters.

Also, as this applies to my apartment- we regularly let a large garbage can on our balcony fill up with smaller trash bags from within, and then take out this larger amount of trash. We empty the whole thing roughly 2 times a month.

Thank you.

Apparently there have been extra palmetto bugs and/or rats and mice that are warranting this kind of action from the landlord. If you don't want to pay the privilege of keeping garbage on your balcony, I would suggest taking your junk to the dumpster on a regular basis. Would it kill you to have to take a small bag of junk downstairs to the dumpster every other day versus twice a month? No.

Also it is their property and their rules so they can legally do this as you have been formally notified of this $25 charge for hoarding trash making the premisis unsanitary.

Yes, If you were my neighbor and had garbage on your balcony next to my apartment for 2 weeks, well glad you are not my neighbor.
Garbage is suppose to be taken every day or two at the most to the trash dumpster at the complex to be hauled off. Not stored for weeks, allowing bugs and rodents.

I guess they could just evict you for violation of housekeeping and/or sanitation rules.

So since this could get them fined by the health department, or code enforcement they are in full rights in doing this.

I appreciate the quick and knowledgeable answers. We'll start taking out the trash every day then.

Thanks again!