DSNY Cracks Down on Store Containers Without Permits Ahead of Yom Tov

Yisroel R.

Over the past several years, temporary storage containers have become a familiar sight outside stores across Williamsburg in the weeks leading up to Yom Tov, giving businesses extra room to handle the large increase in seasonal merchandise.

The containers are often used to hold everything from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur merchandise to Sukkos decorations, Sukkah-related items, and other seasonal products brought in for the busy Yom Tov shopping period.

For many stores, the extra space has become especially useful during the weeks when shelves fill quickly and regular storefront storage is no longer enough to keep up with demand.

This year, however, the New York City Department of Sanitation is taking a much stricter approach, with crews cracking down on containers placed in public spaces without the proper permits and are towing away unauthorized units.

The stepped-up enforcement means store owners planning to place a container outside their business should make sure the required permit is secured beforehand. Containers placed without authorization could be removed even if they are only intended for temporary use during the Yom Tov season.

The crackdown comes just as local stores are beginning one of the busiest shopping periods of the year, when additional inventory and seasonal items are arriving in large quantities.

Business owners hoping to continue using temporary containers are therefore being urged to arrange the proper permits in advance, rather than risk having a container towed once the Yom Tov rush is already underway.