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Mike Schmitt, CEOEvery evening across more than 1,200 multifamily communities, the same well-coordinated routine unfolds. Residents place trash bags outside their doors before settling in for the night. By morning, the bags are gone, breezeways are clean, compactor areas are under control, and property management teams are not starting the day responding to waste complaints.
Butler Plus is the company behind this efficient nightly operation, providing doorstep trash services designed to simplify waste disposal for multifamily communities of all shapes and sizes.
“Conventional waste management was never designed around the resident, but we were from day one,” says CEO Mike Schmitt. “We treat doorstep collection as a resident experience, not a waste problem.”
Established by co-founders Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman 13 years ago, this philosophy continues to guide Butler Plus’ growth, with the company providing doorstep trash services for more than 350,000 units in cities and states from coast to coast each night.
Commitment to Resident Experience Guides Everyday Operations
From overflowing compactors to improperly discarded bulk items, trash can create issues for property managers. When not dealt with, these issues can turn into even greater challenges, such as pest infestation and maintenance teams who are consistently pulled away from higher-priority work.
Conventional waste management was never designed around the resident, but we were from day one. We treat doorstep collection as a resident experience, not a waste problem.
“Doorstep trash collection is something residents don’t think about when it’s working, which is exactly how it’s meant to function,” says Schmitt.
Butler Plus removes this ongoing burden from property teams by providing dedicated butlers who serve as a single point of contact, managing compactor areas and coordinating proper handling of recyclables and bulk items. No matter how large the community or complex the operations, butlers implement Butler Plus’ 3C Guarantee, a model the company has spent more than a decade refining.
“Our 3C Guarantee centers on providing residents with consistency, cleanliness, and communication,” said Schmitt. “We are guests at every community we serve, and professionalism is expected at every level of interaction. For us, this means providing uniformed butlers, clean equipment, nightly collection completed within designated timeframes and, above all, respectful interactions with residents.”
Perfect Combination of People and Technology
Butler Plus invests heavily in its team – hiring W2 team members rather than contractors to help ensure employee retention. Once onboard, team members are greeted with a culture dedicated to detailed on-the-job training and core values that serve as the backbone of Butler Plus’ high service standards.
With a strong team in place, Butler Plus turns to technology – not to replace human service, but as a tool to strengthen accountability, increase communication, and tie systems together. The company recently introduced a proprietary platform embedded with AI that increases transparency for internal teams and property partners.
Meeting the Needs of Each Property
Butler Plus recognizes no two communities operate the same way. A garden-style property in Tampa requires a different operational approach than a mid-rise building in downtown Dallas. Whether a property has 200 units or 600, communities require dependable collection completed on time every night by professional teams that understand the property.
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Doorstep trash collection is something residents don’t think about when it’s working, which is exactly how it is meant to function.
Before launching its service, a team walks each property to evaluate stairwells, elevators, breezeways, collection points and compactor locations. Operations are then customized around the specific rhythm and layout of that community.
Service Businesses are People Businesses
Some of the company’s most meaningful validation comes from direct resident and partner interactions rather than operational metrics.
One recent experience stood out for Schmitt when he was visiting a car dealership and a young woman noticed the Butler Plus logo on his shirt. It turned out Butler Plus serviced her community, and she spoke about a butler she knew by name who had gone out of his way to help her on more than one occasion. She also shared constructive feedback about the service.
Moments like these reinforce Butler Plus’ belief that service businesses ultimately remain people businesses. The team is actively engaged with property partners to better understand how they can support their evolving operational needs.
What’s Next for Butler Plus
In response to partner conversations and feedback, Butler Plus is expanding into a full-service multifamily operating partner, with additional services including pest control, pressure washing, portering, bulk hauling, and unit turns rolling out in various markets throughout 2026 and 2027.
The national company with a strong reputation is ready to demonstrate its strengths beyond trash – and more importantly, how those strengths benefit multifamily communities.
“We have deep roots in doorstep trash, but when you continually get feedback from the properties you serve that they want more, you listen,” said Schmitt. “We are excited to provide even more value to our partners by providing them with all essential services under one roof.”
He continued, “No matter the service or the type of property, we will never compromise on our core values. These values have made us who we are today, and we will continue to stay true to them to ensure our success – and the success of our partners – well into the future.”
Doorstep Valet Trash Services of the Year: Raising the Standard for Multifamily Communities
Resident expectations have changed significantly across the multifamily housing sector. Convenience, cleanliness and service quality increasingly influence leasing decisions, resident satisfaction and long-term retention. Property owners and operators are expected to maintain attractive communities while controlling costs and protecting asset value. Within that environment, waste management has evolved from a routine maintenance function into a visible part of the resident experience.
Many communities continue to face recurring challenges tied to trash collection. Overflowing compactors, improperly discarded bulk items, pest concerns and litter in common areas create avoidable friction for residents and management teams alike. Maintenance staff are often pulled away from higher-value responsibilities to address issues that consume time without improving the resident experience. These problems compound when properties increase in size and density.
Effective doorstep valet trash service addresses more than waste removal. The strongest providers create a predictable experience that residents can rely upon while reducing the administrative burden placed on onsite teams. Consistency becomes key across larger portfolios where service interruptions can quickly affect resident perception. Collection schedules, communication practices and quality control measures must remain dependable regardless of community size or layout.
Adaptability also plays a significant role, as no two multifamily communities are identical. Garden-style properties, mid-rise developments and large mixed-use communities have different logistical requirements. Service providers that invest time in understanding property design, resident traffic patterns and collection workflows are better positioned to deliver results without creating inconvenience for residents or staff. Although standardized execution remains important, it must be flexible enough to accommodate local conditions.
People remain central to successful service delivery. While technology can improve visibility and accountability, resident-facing services ultimately depend on trained personnel who show up consistently and take ownership of outcomes. Property managers often place greater value on reliability and responsiveness than on promises of innovation alone. When issues occur, prompt communication and clear accountability help preserve trust between the provider, property management team and residents.
Sustainability considerations are also becoming more prominent. Communities increasingly expect service partners to support recycling efforts, manage waste streams responsibly and reduce unnecessary inefficiencies. Vendor consolidation is an additional priority for operators looking to simplify oversight and reduce coordination challenges across multiple service providers. Companies capable of supporting several property services through a single relationship can help streamline management while maintaining service quality.
Against this backdrop, Butler Plus stands out as a strong choice for multifamily operators evaluating doorstep valet trash services. Serving more than 1,200 communities, it has built an approach around consistency, cleanliness and communication. Its service model combines trained W2 team members, standardized quality processes and technology that improves visibility into service completion.
Butler Plus also designs collection programs around each property's layout rather than forcing communities into a fixed model. Beyond doorstep trash, it supports multifamily operators through pest control, pressure washing, portering and bulk hauling services, allowing properties to consolidate multiple needs under one provider. For organizations prioritizing resident satisfaction, accountability and dependable execution, Butler Plus represents a compelling option within the multifamily services market.
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