A garbage disposal is a convenience, but it's definitely not a requirement in a rental unit. If your unit doesn't already have a garbage disposal, the decision to install one has arguments both pro and con.
It's not that a garbage disposal costs an arm and a leg—it doesn't. It costs less than a month's rent in most markets. However, it will probably add to time spent on maintenance, and you probably won't be able to charge more for the rental. Some situations may warrant the installation cost and the extra maintenance, though.
Why would I install a garbage disposal?
In a high-end rental market, tenants expect all the modern conveniences. A sink in a kitchen with a modern stove, refrigerator complete with ice-maker and water dispenser, and a dishwasher looks incomplete without a garbage disposal. You might want to install one simply to justify charging the market rate for your unit.
A garbage disposal can be more than a convenience in certain circumstances. Consider a unit on the top floor of a multi-story apartment complex without trash chutes. Without a disposal, tenants have to carry out their kitchen waste or find some other way to deal with it. That doesn't necessarily make the disposal a necessity, but it does make the case for one.
By grinding up and liquefying food waste, garbage disposals prevent large clumps from collecting in the pipes and they prevent clogs. You could simply provide strainers for the sink drains, but you can't guarantee the tenants will use them. The garbage disposal, on the other hand, is a permanent fixture that's easy to use.
Think about the maintenance
Of all kitchen appliances, garbage disposals are the ones most likely to require maintenance. Unless you include a lease clause assigning the job of maintaining the garbage disposal to the tenants—which includes retrieving stuck debris and resetting the disposal—there's a good chance you'll get two or more repair calls a year. If you decide to take on the risk, make sure tenants have a simple way to submit maintenance requests online. When you use a platform like Apartments.com, you will get notified when you have a request, and you can easily update your tenants as the repair progresses.
Fixing a stuck garbage disposal isn't difficult or time-consuming, but you probably have better things to do. Landlords who prefer to let tenants deal with garbage disposal clogs need to make sure a hex key is available. You can even tape the key to the disposal.
If your rental has a septic system
One thing is sure: If the rental is served by a septic system, don't put in a garbage disposal. Septic tanks are delicate, and they can't handle grease and oils. Even if you appreciate this fact, your renters may not. Besides maintaining the disposal unit, you'll probably find yourself spending extra time and money on septic maintenance as well.
How much does it cost to install a garbage disposal?
A garbage disposal can cost anywhere from $75 to $500, but on average, you should expect to pay about $300 for a moderately powerful unit. It takes a plumber between two and three hours to install one. Including new drain pipes and fittings, you'll probably spend about the same amount for installation.
On top of that, you'll have to install a GFCI receptacle if there isn't one already, and that costs $150 or more, depending on where the nearest circuit is. You can save labor costs by doing the work yourself, but you'll still end up spending about $500 for the disposal unit, ancillary supplies, and electricity unless you opt for minimum quality, which isn't a good idea. Less expensive units are underpowered. They tend to clog more often, especially when grinding bones, and they allow partially ground food into the waste pipes, causing backups. Also, less-expensive units don't last as long.
So the bottom line is...?
Remodeling consultant Joe Trometer offers this succinct advice:
"If I can't charge more rent for it, or it's breakable and causes me maintenance, I don't install it."
In most cases, a garbage disposal fulfills both those conditions. On top of that, consider that tenants may fail to use the disposal properly and might wrongly consider any malfunction as a reason not to pay rent until it's fixed. Unless there's a compelling need for a garbage disposal, it's probably best not to install one in a rental unit.
