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Grease trap requirements for property and building managers

Last verified 2026-10-19 by Stew Israil, GreaseTrapRules. Rules differ by city; the examples below are quoted from official ordinances and are not legal advice.

Who is responsible: tenant or landlord?

It depends on who the device serves and on your city's ordinance. Some cities put shared interceptors squarely on the property owner:

Cary, NC: where several establishments share one interceptor (the code names shopping centers, malls, hotels, multi-tenant "flex" spaces and mixed-use sites), "the owner of the property on which the common grease interceptor is located shall be primarily responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, and repair of the common interceptor." Property owners who provide common interceptors count as "users" under the ordinance.
Murfreesboro, TN (MWRD): "Property owners of commercial properties or their official designee(s) shall be responsible for the installation and maintenance of any grease interceptor commonly shared by multiple FOG Generating Establishments that are located on a single parcel."
Inglewood, CA: owners of multi-tenant commercial properties "shall be responsible for the installation and maintenance of the grease interceptor serving multiple or individual tenants" and "shall be responsible for all aspects on compliance with this Article." Restaurants without their own water meter get permits issued jointly to the property owner and the property management company, and enforcement is "prosecuted jointly against the food service establishment and the property owner."

Other cities place the duty on the food service establishment (the tenant) that discharges grease. Check your city page, and write the split into the lease.

Multi-tenant buildings

A shared interceptor fills with every tenant's grease, so one tenant's habits can put the whole building out of compliance. Where the owner is responsible (as in the cities above), the owner or manager typically books the pump-outs and keeps the records. Cary, for example, requires the shared interceptor to be pumped at least every 60 days unless the town approves a different schedule.

Records

Cary requires a written maintenance record kept for three years, available to the town at all times: establishment name and location, date and time of service, service company and the agent's signature, service type, number and size of interceptors, volume removed, where the waste went, and a signature confirming the work. Other cities' retention periods are on their city pages and in our printable maintenance log.

Inspections

Cary requires interceptors to be "readily and easily accessible for maintenance and repair, including cleaning and for town inspection." Keep access lids clear and give your pumper and the inspector a contact who can open the building. See the FOG inspection checklist.

Need a pumper for your building?

Recurring building accounts are exactly what service companies want. Request quotes and choose "Property or building manager".

Sources

Town of Cary, NC Code Sec. 36-183 (Fat, oil and grease control) · checked 2026-10-19
City of Inglewood, CA Municipal Code, Article 17 (FOG regulation) · checked 2026-10-19
Murfreesboro Water Resources (MWRD), TN FOG Management Policy · checked 2026-10-19