Fines start after a two-week information period

Valencia's city council has begun the sanctions phase of its new municipal ordinance on urban cleaning and waste collection, and from 13 October 2026 the Local Police can write up offenders. The ordinance entered into force on 15 June, and an information campaign ran from 1 to 12 October under the slogan 'Una ciudad más limpia la hacemos todos', meaning 'We all make a cleaner city'. According to the council, the campaign was meant to remind residents of their cleaning obligations and of the consequences of conduct that dirties public roads. Local Police received specific training on the new rules on 18 September, according to 20 minutos, and the municipal plenary approved the ordinance without votes against, per the same outlet.

What the fines cover

Abandoning furniture and household items on the street can cost up to 3,000 euros, as can leaving waste outside containers and urinating or defecating in public spaces. Smaller litter such as cigarette butts, chewing gum, peels and paper dropped on the ground carries fines of up to 1,500 euros, the same ceiling that applies to not picking up pet excrement. Spitting in public falls in a bracket of 750 to 3,000 euros, while graffiti or painting on heritage-protected elements costs 1,500 to 3,000 euros. Bags of household or commercial waste placed in bins, and bulky items sticking out of them, are fined 1,500 to 3,000 euros, and leaving construction debris from public works carries 750 to 1,500 euros, according to El País.

Free collection and political reaction

Residents can avoid the furniture penalty by booking a free collection service through the number 010, the municipal website or the council's app. The council framed the sanctions phase as a way to strengthen compliance and involve residents directly in keeping the city clean.

We aim to reinforce compliance with the ordinance and encourage citizen collaboration to keep public spaces in better condition.

Mayor María José Catalá of the PP chairs the council, El País reports. El Mundo notes that cleanliness was already a point of dispute during the election campaign, when Catalá focused part of her effort against Joan Ribó on the state of the city. The opposition, PSOE and Compromís, now accuse her government of having neglected the streets, even though the council has signed the cleaning contract of the largest value in its history.

Rollout timeline

The ordinance was approved in May 2026, according to 20 minutos, and entered into force on 15 June. The information period ran from 1 to 12 October, and the Local Police began issuing fines on 13 October. From that date, officers will file the corresponding reports for the violations they detect, El País reports.