In short
- Centretown runs from Gloucester and Lisgar south to the Queensway, between Bronson Avenue and the Rideau Canal: 25,687 people in 18,291 dwellings on 2.1 km² (2021 census).
- In a building with City containerized collection, bulky items are collected only when the property manager books it, at least 48 hours ahead, and renovation waste is excluded.
- One Ottawa hauler prints $129 as a minimum and $269 for a few items; a mattress adds $35 on its list.
- A truck or bin that works from the road needs a City encroachment permit; the City does not issue one for parking a vehicle.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum charge | $129 + tax | One Ottawa firm’s list |
| A few items (1/5 of a truck) | $269 + tax | Same firm’s list |
| Small room (2/5 of a truck) | $399 + tax | Same firm’s list |
| Couch, mattress, dresser (half a truck) | $300–$450 | A second Ottawa firm’s estimated range |
| Mattress or box spring | +$35 | Disposal fee on the first firm’s list |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: Junk That Funk, Ottawa junk removal pricing; JunkPal, Ottawa pricing (estimated ranges, upper floors and tight access can add labour). Area: Wikipedia, Centretown (boundaries as defined by the City, 2021 census counts). Houses: City of Ottawa, Curbside garbage collection. Buildings: City of Ottawa, Superintendent’s handbook. Street use: City of Ottawa, Temporary construction related encroachments; City of Ottawa, Temporary consideration parking permit. The company that calls you sets its own price.
The streets between Bronson and the Canal
By the City’s map, Centretown is the block of streets west of the Rideau Canal and east of Bronson, from the Queensway north up to Lisgar and Gloucester. The 2021 census counted 25,687 people there, in 18,291 private dwellings.
Bank Street and Elgin Street are largely commercial. Smaller streets such as MacLaren and Gladstone are residential. Between them sit original single homes, infill and townhouse developments, low-rise flats and high-rise towers. Condominium towers went up north of Cooper Street from the late nineties.
Towers, flats and houses: who handles the bulky pile
The City’s handbook for buildings with containerized collection states that large items such as mattresses and furniture must not be placed in the garbage container. The property manager or a designate books the pickup by email or phone with City Solid Waste Dispatch, at least 48 hours before the regular collection day. Only authorized individuals can schedule it. Set-out happens in the evening-to-morning window before pickup, at the location the service agreement names. The City leaves construction and renovation waste out of bulky pickups.
Houses on the side streets follow the curbside rules: three garbage items every two weeks (bulky item rules). A hauler is the next step when the pile is larger, when the building cannot book a City pickup in time, or when the load holds appliances or reno waste.
What a downtown carry costs
The Ottawa price lists we read price by truck volume, with one rate for the city. The second firm adds that items on upper floors or in tight spaces may need extra labour, with the final quote set on site. Downtown, the carry is the variable: floors and corners between your door and the street. The cost guide lists every tier, and couch removal prices the most common single piece.
Where the truck stops
The City’s encroachment page lists deliveries, loading and unloading, and a roll-off bin in a roadway or public laneway among the jobs that need a temporary construction-related encroachment permit. A simple permit covers up to 10 working days. The same page says the City does not issue these permits to park personal or contractor vehicles, and that contractor vehicles follow the Traffic and Parking By-law, unposted limits included.
The temporary consideration parking permit covers residents whose own off-street space is taken, for example by a dumpster. Its page excludes moving companies and contractors using City streets. Tell the company where a truck can stop: a driveway, a lane, a loading bay or the curb. Where no land is spare, a bin rental rarely fits.
Month-end and move-outs
Wikipedia notes that exact numbers for the area are hard to pin down because many residents are transient, many of them students or Hill staffers. End-of-lease piles follow: bed frames, desks, shelving, boxes. The student move-out guide covers that crowd, and the move-out cleanout page covers a unit that must be empty for an inspection.
Sort before the call
Pieces that still work can go to a charity; see donate furniture. A fridge or stove has its own page: appliance removal. A mattress with bed bugs gets its own handling on the mattress disposal page.
Who you are dealing with
The downtown request goes to one independent hauler that covers downtown addresses. Expect that company’s call, its quote for your floor and its crew at the door. Ottawa Junk Desk forwards the details and has no truck of its own.
Questions to ask the company
- Do you need the freight elevator or loading dock booked, and who in my building does that?
- How do you price the floor I am on: a flat fee, or extra for the carry?
- Where will the truck stop, and do you need a City permit for that spot?
- Is the mattress fee in the quote, and is a bed frame priced with it?
Have this ready for the call
- The building's property manager or concierge contact, and the rules for the elevator and the loading area
- Unit number, floor, entry code and the route from the door to the street
- Photos of every item
- The street and the side of the block where a truck could stop, with any posted limits
Questions people ask
The garbage room is for bags only. Where does an old sofa go?
The City’s rule for apartment buildings says mattresses and furniture must not go in the garbage container. The property manager books a bulky pickup with City Solid Waste Dispatch at least 48 hours before the building’s collection day, and only authorized people can book it.
I live in a house on a side street in Centretown. Do the same rules apply?
Houses follow the curbside rules: three garbage items every two weeks. Wikipedia notes much of Centretown still consists of original single-family homes, so many addresses fall under these rules. A building with its own garbage containers follows the apartment rules.
Can the truck park in front of my building on a downtown street?
The City lists deliveries, loading and unloading among the jobs that need a temporary encroachment permit, and says it does not issue one for parking vehicles. Contractor vehicles must follow the Traffic and Parking By-law, including unposted limits. Ask the hauler where it will stop and who applies.
Does living on a high floor change the price?
It can. One Ottawa hauler says upper floors and tight spaces may take more labour time, and the final quote is given on site. Mention the floor, the elevator and the distance from your door to the street when you write, so the company prices the carry up front.
Can I put the old furniture next to the building's bins overnight?
Overnight is the rule, within limits. The City’s apartment handbook opens the window at 6 pm on the eve of collection and closes it at 7 am that morning, and the pieces go only to the spot named in the building’s service agreement. Ask your property manager where that is.
