Tenants living in short-let apartments should be asked for a deposit as a guarantee to stop them from leaving rubbish bags outside of collection days, according to the St Julian’s mayor.

Admitting that the council was receiving complaints from residents daily, Guido Dalli said landlords should withhold deposits from their visitors if they leave rubbish bags outdoors on the wrong collection day.

“Nowadays there is no control... I keep raising the issue during meetings and nothing ever changes. I’m fed up,” he said, adding the problem got worse since the number of black bag collections had been reduced to twice per week.

The problem is being compounded as the number of single properties being turned into multiple apartments was constantly increasing while waste management was being shifted to a regional level.

“Instead of one family in one building, we have now have buildings housing up to 10 apartments... we are doing our best, but as councils all we can do is report the complaint to the regional agents.”

Condominium administrators should be responsible for informing landlords of offending tenants, Dalli proposed, stressing the difficulties facing authorities trying to monitor the situation.

According to the Condominium Act, administrators should “regulate the... performance of services in the common interest,” and perform other duties to help the proper management of the building.

They are a legal requirement in buildings with more than three apartments.

When is rubbish collected?

Since January, a national waste collection schedule has been in place. 

Monday: Organic Waste.

Tuesday: Mixed Waste.

Wednesday: Organic Waste.

Thursday: Recyclable Waste.

Friday: Organic Waste.

Saturday: Mixed Waste.

Sunday: No waste is collected.

Over the past week, residents of St Julian’s have reached out to Times of Malta complaining about the numbers of black bags left outside for days on end.

“Our road is in a disgusting state,” said Alfred Camilleri who lives in Spinola Road, adding he frequently saw rats in the street.

Another resident said the situation for her family was becoming unbearable.

“My 80-year-old mother can’t go on to the balcony anymore because of all the flies and mosquitoes... the smell is horrible, we can’t take it anymore,” she said.

Some people were using her road as a dumping ground, she said, complaining she had even seen people arriving by car to leave rubbish bags on the street before speeding off.

Last year, the former mayor of St Julian’s Albert Buttigieg was joined by the Malta Hotel and Restaurants Association and the Chamber of SMEs to highlight the growing trash problem in St Julian’s, with the chamber highlighting the need for a specialised cleansing unit in the more touristic areas.

“Ideally, we would have a dedicated team that would function 24 hours a day, at least, during the peak seasons. It would go round emptying bins, sweeping, ensuring the general upkeep of the area so it always looks good,” chamber deputy president Philip Fenech had said.

At the time, collections of black bags took place three times per week.

In December, Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manché warned that the reduced collection of black bags would impact families with young children in particular, while independent Żebbuġ councillor Steve Zammit Lupi had stressed the need for better enforcement.