Can a bin stay on an Ottawa street for more than three months?

Not on a single permit. The City of Ottawa grants a Temporary Construction-related Encroachment (TCE) permit "for a period not exceeding three (3) months", and it "may be renewed for further periods not exceeding three (3) months".

A renewal is a Complex permit. On the City's 2026 schedule that is $998, not the $101 Simple fee, and a Complex permit needs commercial general liability insurance of at least $5,000,000, in the name of the permit holder and naming the City as additional insured. City staff determine the permit type, and the City says permits "may be revoked at any time at the discretion of the City".

The daily road rental continues for as long as the bin is out: $2.02 per square metre per day on the sidewalk or roadway, or $0.87 on the boulevard, with a $41 daily minimum. Our arithmetic puts most single bins below that minimum, so the $41 minimum is the daily figure to plan with. All City fees are non-refundable.

The duties stay with the permit holder the whole time: posting the permit on the outside of the encroachment area, supplying the traffic-control devices (the City provides none), and, in winter, removing snow from the area and keeping walkways clear.

The permit is not transferable, so for a long placement agree in writing with the bin company who holds it, who applies for any renewal, and who carries the insurance.

If the bin may stay past three months, ask the City's ROW Permit Office about renewal before the first permit runs out.