Nothing makes the holidays bright like a fresh-cut Christmas tree. The beauty and fragrance of these holidays trees can fill a rental home. It’s like bringing a part of the outdoors into your living room. And when it’s decorated with lights and ornaments, it becomes synonymous with Christmas. However, once the holidays are over, it becomes a bit of a problem. Many Baton Rouge tenants have to answer the question: How do I properly dispose of this tree? Dry pine needles are a fire hazard, so, you’ll need to take the Christmas tree out of your property as soon as all the ornaments and decoration on it are taken down. The problem is that most dumpsters and general trash pick-ups won’t accept Christmas trees. That means you can’t just toss your tree out to dispose of it. Below, we’ll take a look at several safe and legal ways renters can properly dispose of their Christmas trees.
One of the primary ways to dispose of a Christmas tree is to check your city’s website. Also, check the site of your local waste removal company as well. These days, cities and towns usually have their own websites that have helpful information for residents. Come the holidays, they usually update the site to include information for specific, city-run programs designed for Christmas tree removal. Local waste removal companies do the same thing with their websites. The sites may list the local drop-off locations or they may provide curbside pickup or even shred your tree for mulch. It differs from place to place.
If your town offers drop-off locations, you have one of the easiest ways to remove your tree from the property. To find the location that’s easiest for you, just do a quick internet search. After you’ve chosen a location, what’s left is to take your tree there. If you want to do it yourself, do use a tree bag to protect your walls and floors from scratches and to keep dead pine needles from making a mess.
In some areas, you can arrange to have the local yard waste removal company come and pick up your tree, or even have it turned into mulch right outside your home. To use these services, you may have to make a special request on or before a specific date, and some may cost you a little extra on your trash removal bill that month. If you have these two options available to you, be sure to do your research before scheduling the service, including finding out any related fees.
Aside from the services provided by your city or that of your local waste removal company, there are still other ways to dispose of a Christmas tree. You can, if you have the means, hire someone to chop your tree up into firewood. There are also several organizations that accept donated Christmas trees for use in environmental recovery projects. You can do a search online to find the closest one to you. Many of these projects use donated trees to reduce beach erosion or create habitats for wildlife. This makes this option really good for the environment.
There is one option that you should never consider, and that is to burn your Christmas tree on the property. It’s only a viable option if you have a wood-burning fireplace and if you’ve had the tree cut into firewood. If you haven’t, then lighting a dry pine tree on fire is a really bad idea. You may injure yourself or even damage or destroy your Baton Rouge rental property— and all your personal belongings with it.
As reported by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), it takes less than 60 seconds for a Christmas tree fire to set an entire house ablaze. Even if you’ve successfully burned your tree without damaging the house, the flames would most likely damage the yard or another part of the property. This may mean, at a minimum, that you’d have to pay fines or lose your security deposit.
The proper disposal of your Christmas tree is a serious topic and should be handled appropriately. It shouldn’t be taken lightly. By doing the proper research and getting the right information, you can select the best method that gets the job done and, at the same time, makes sure you and your rental home stay safe.
At Real Property Management Baton Rouge, we understand that you need to deal with all the aspects of life that are pulling you for attention— your business, your family, your friends— and that means you can’t be on top of everything all the time. Our team of Baton Rouge property managers is ready to help you. We take care of all tenant communication, including educating them on important aspects like Christmas tree removal. Contact us or call us at 225-389-6860 today.
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