U of G Student Moveout Cleanout Guide

If you own a student rental in Guelph or you're a parent helping your kid move out of one, you already know the chaos. Late-April moveouts and late-August transitions produce predictable, voluminous cleanouts: abandoned mattresses, broken IKEA, mystery boxes, empty bottles, and a fridge that nobody wants to investigate. Here's how to handle it without losing your mind — or your security deposit.

Why curbside collection doesn't work for student moveouts

Two reasons:

1. Volume. The City of Guelph's curbside program limits you to a few large items per pickup. A typical student house produces 15–30 large items in one go — way over the limit.
2. Timing. Moveouts happen on a fixed lease date, often the 30th of the month. Collection day might be a week away. The pile sits on the lawn looking like a yard sale, the next tenant is already moving in, and the neighbours start calling.

A bin in the driveway solves both problems. Everything goes in, the driveway clears, and you avoid a $400 special-pickup fee from the city for excessive volumes.

What's typically in a U of G student moveout

After hauling many of these, the inventory is remarkably consistent:

• 2–4 mattresses (often stained, always heavy)
• Broken IKEA furniture nobody can be bothered to disassemble
• 1–3 couches, usually one too sketchy to donate
• Cheap office chairs in various states of collapse
• Kitchen items: cracked plates, a 4-year-old toaster, expired food
• Boxes labelled "important" containing nothing important
• Carpet rolls if anyone tried to "fix" the floor
• Whatever was in the basement that the landlord never noticed
• The fridge investigation

Bin size for a student moveout

Small house (3–4 students, single year)

A 10-yard ($460 + HST) handles most. Garbage, broken stuff, a couple mattresses, lots of bagged items. Tight but works.

Larger house (5–8 students, multi-year accumulation)

Go 15-yard ($500 + HST). The extra $40 is cheaper than ordering a second bin if you run out of space — which is the #1 complaint we hear after the fact.

Multi-property landlords (turning over several houses in one week)

Call us — we can sometimes swap bins between properties on the same day. If you've got 3 houses turning over April 30, planning the bin sequence ahead saves you a week of back-and-forth.

When to book — the timing that actually matters

A full 7 days of rental is included in our flat rate, which is typically more than enough. Here's the timing that works:

• 2–3 days before lease end: Bin gets dropped. Tenants start filling it as they pack. Some moveout debris happens before the actual moveout date.
• Lease end day: Bin is on site. Whatever the tenants leave behind goes in. Landlord or cleanout crew does the final pass.
• 2–5 days after lease end: Final cleanout, repairs, contractor debris. Bin still there.
• Day 7–10: Call us for pickup. Bin is gone before the new tenant moves in.

Tips for landlords (managing the chaos)

Document everything before, during, and after

Photo the bin from multiple angles before pickup. If you're charging a tenant for excessive damage or abandonment, photos of the bin contents help the case. Time-stamp them.

Position the bin where the next contractor wants it

If you're doing repairs after moveout, drop the bin where the painter, drywaller, or floor person can also use it. They'll thank you, and you don't pay for two bins.

Don't let "abandoned" furniture pile up on the curb

In the Old University and Junction neighbourhoods near U of G, neighbours have been known to call by-law about excessive yard piles. A bin keeps it contained. Cheaper than a bylaw fine.

Mention the size of the property when you book

A 7-bedroom student house produces meaningfully more than a 3-bedroom. We size the bin based on the description — the more accurate, the less likely you'll run out of space.

Tips for parents (helping your kid move out)

Bring boxes, but accept that most stuff is going in the bin

If you've helped a kid move out before, you know: half of what they own is broken, expired, or sticky. Trying to ship it home is a false economy. Box the keepers, bin the rest.

The mattress is going in the bin

Even if it looks fine. Even if it's "only" 2 years old. Move-out mattresses don't survive the journey home and they almost certainly don't fit in your car. Call us before the move and the bin will be ready.

Don't forget the basement and the back porch

Student houses accumulate weird piles in places nobody enters all year. The back porch, the basement, the back of the closet that "wasn't ours." Walk the whole house with a garbage bag before you leave.

Where we deliver around U of G

Most student rentals are concentrated in a few core Guelph neighbourhoods:

• Old University & Exhibition Park (especially around Stone Road and Edinburgh)
• Junction & St. George's Park
• Stone Road area, College Heights
• Sunny Acres
• Some pockets in the South End and Westminster Woods

All same flat rate. $460 (10-yard), $500 (15-yard) or $540 (20-yard) + HST, anywhere in Guelph.

Book early — here's why we mean it

In late April and late August, we run at capacity for 7–10 day stretches. Bins go out faster than they come back. If your moveout is on April 30 and you call on April 28, we'll do our best — but the answer might be "May 2 is the earliest." Book a week ahead and you have your pick of dates.

Call 226.243.5199 or book online. Mention "student moveout" and the property size — we'll size the bin and confirm a delivery slot in one call.