New York City is a place of significant excess and great need, making it an Eden for getting rid of unwanted furniture. Instead of hauling your old sofa down to the curb, consider donating it. There are dozens of nonprofit organizations that would be thrilled to take it off your hands. Many of them even offer free furniture pickup and free furniture removal. Here’s how to donate furniture in NYC. We also included eco-friendly ways to dispose of your stuff.

Manhattan Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Hell’s Kitchen

554 West 50th Street

$2,276 No Fee

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1

Central Harlem

252 West 149th Street

$2,225 No Fee

2 |

1

Upper East Side

166 East 82nd Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Yorkville

401 East 89th Street

$2,475 No Fee

1 |

1

East Village

338 East 14th Street

$2,829 No Fee

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1

South Harlem

115 West 117th Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

1.5

Hell’s Kitchen

537 West 49th Street

$2,300 No Fee

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1

Yorkville

306 East 83rd Street

$2,200 No Fee

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1

Upper West Side

148 West 80th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

East Harlem

334 East 105th Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

East Harlem

340 East 105th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Fort George

480 West 187th Street

$1,850 No Fee

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According to Lisa Tselebidis, a certified KonMari home-organization consultant, any item that is still in good condition should be donated — this reduces waste while also doing something good for the planet. Two nonprofits she particularly likes are Habitat for Humanity and Housing Works, both of which can always use household donations. But there are plenty of other places to donate or dispose of unwanted furniture.

Where To Donate Furniture in NYC

There’s no shortage of places that accept furniture donations in NYC. Many nonprofit organizations below offer free furniture pickup and provide tax-deductible receipts, so peruse the list and find an organization whose values and mission you vibe with. Please confirm guidelines and drop-off times for any place you wish to donate.

• Big Reuse believes that salvaging usable items like furniture helps combat environmental destruction. They accept undamaged tables, dressers, end tables, bookshelves, and small desks. As part of their eco-practice, they will only pick up a large volume of donations, so contact them to see if your stuff qualifies. You can also drop off donations at their Brooklyn location.
• City Opera Thrift Shop will turn your unwanted furniture into financial support for a venerated city institution. It will pick up donations between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for free. 
• Council Vintage Thrift donations support the United Jewish Council of the East Side. Both drop-off and pickup services are available. It does not accept particle-board pieces or furniture in poor condition.
• Cure Thrift Shop on 3rd Avenue in the East Village donates its proceeds to type 1 diabetes research. Donated furniture must be pre-approved via a form on the website. The shop will also schedule pick-ups. 
• Goodwill is an obvious choice for many. It no longer offers free pickup for New York residents, but all of Goodwill’s stores accept drop-off donations.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore, located in Woodside, Queens, will happily pick up your clean, gently used furniture. It responds to inquiries within 48 hours.
• Hour Children provides services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women in New York. It operates a couple thrift shops in the city that will take some types of furniture — recliners, futons, beds, and bookcases are not accepted — and pickups can be scheduled.
• Housing Works provides advocacy, services, and business to people affected by HIV/AIDS. It accepts furniture in excellent condition, but it cannot take furniture needing reupholstering, particle-board pieces, office furniture, large glass dining tables, or beds. You can schedule a pickup for a small fee if you have at least two or three pieces (photos are required).
• JunkLuggers is an eco-friendly junk removal company that finds non-landfill homes for your furniture with several trusted charity partners. Much like a regular junk-removal service, it charges a fee for labor based on the amount of space your items take up in its truck. Pricing begins at $218.
• Saint Luke’s Thrift Shop supports the Church of St. Luke in the Fields, a charitable Episcopal church in the West Village. Its Tribeca thrift shop accepts furniture drop-offs (but no children’s furniture).
• Vietnam Veterans of America will pick up used furniture and other donations — schedule a pickup online or by phone.

To find even more organizations you can donate furniture to in NYC, check out donateNYC, the Department of Sanitation’s directory of nonprofit partners eager for your used furniture.

Brooklyn Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Flatbush

561 East 26th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Bushwick

287 Cornelia Street

$2,175 No Fee

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1

Flatbush

1471 Nostrand Avenue

$2,400 No Fee

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1

Midwood

1792 Ocean Avenue

$2,429 No Fee

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1

Midwood

1792 Ocean Avenue

$2,995 No Fee

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2

Flatbush

286 Linden Boulevard

$2,495 No Fee

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1

Stuyvesant Heights

321 Pulaski Street

$2,550 No Fee

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1

Williamsburg

53 Graham Avenue

$2,400 No Fee

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1

Prospect Heights

195 Underhill Avenue

$2,498 No Fee

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1

Crown Heights

2303A Pacific Street

$2,350 No Fee

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1

Bushwick

1198 Putman Avenue

$2,900 No Fee

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1

Bushwick

820 Wyckoff Avenue

$2,495 No Fee

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1

Eco-Friendly Ways To Dispose of Furniture

If you’re in a hurry to get rid of that tufted velvet loveseat and don’t have time to schedule a donation pickup — but you don’t want to chuck the thing because you just know someone will enjoy it — then consider these eco-friendly alternatives to the landfill:

• Craigslist is an easy solution when you’re looking to donate furniture in NYC. Make a post with furniture photos, provide details, and wait for an interested party to reach out.
• Facebook Marketplace works like Craigslist in that you can put up your furniture for free. (Using the Marketplace requires a Facebook account, meaning that your posts are not anonymous.)
• The Freecycle Network is a nonprofit movement of people committed to reducing, reusing, and recycling. Find a group in your area and make a post for your loveseat. Someone will want it!

Queens Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Astoria

37-15 30th Avenue

$1,985 No Fee

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Ditmars-Steinway

22-42 Steinway Street

$2,800 No Fee

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1.5

Astoria

30-24 49th Street

$2,499 No Fee

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Astoria

34-33 43rd Street

$2,600 No Fee

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Astoria

25-37 43rd Street

$2,700 No Fee

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1

Elmhurst

90-02 Queens Boulevard

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Elmhurst

90-02 Queens Boulevard

$2,600 No Fee

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1

Glendale

65-05 Central Avenue

$2,100 No Fee

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1

Astoria

25-21 31st Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

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Astoria

28-23 42nd Street

$1,812 No Fee

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Sunnyside

45-56 42nd Street

$2,375 No Fee

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Forest Hills

76-16 Grand Central Parkway

$2,800 No Fee

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1

The Best Ways to Recycle and Trash Un-Donatable Furniture

If the desk you’ve been lugging from apartment to apartment won’t survive another move, and it’s in no shape to be donated, then you must junk or recycle it. As New Yorkers, we’re privileged in this regard — we’re allowed to leave up to six bulk items per building on the curb the evenings before garbage-collection days. Here are some things to keep in mind about putting your furniture on the sidewalk:

• Place your items on the curb on the right day; otherwise, you might face a fine from your building or the city. Items smaller than 4 feet x 3 feet can be left with your normal trash. Look up collection days for your address.
• Make an appointment for the Sanitation Department to pick up furniture larger than 4 feet x 3 feet. Appointments can be made for up to 10 items. Leave your furniture on the curb after 4 p.m. the night before your appointment, and make sure to coordinate with your super first.
• Consider using TaskRabbit to get your unwanted furniture from the living room to the curb. It offers furniture services that include disassembly, removal, and disposal.

Bronx Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

North New York

466 East 143rd Street

$1,850 No Fee

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North New York

417 East 135th Street

$2,275 No Fee

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University Heights

30 West 181st Street

$2,375 No Fee

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Norwood

3291 Hull Avenue

$1,700 No Fee

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Morris Heights

54 West 174th Street

$1,895 No Fee

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1

Kingsbridge Heights

2737 Webb Avenue

$1,595 No Fee

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Woodstock

725 Southern Boulevard

$1,750 No Fee

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Kingsbridge Heights

3344 Fort Independence Street

$2,200 No Fee

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1

Fieldston

6255 Broadway

$2,100 No Fee

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Mott Haven

101 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,792 No Fee

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2

Mott Haven

101 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,792 No Fee

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2

Mott Haven

276 Grand Concourse

$2,537 No Fee

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But what if you think your unwanted stuff is valuable? Let’s say you have an old, wood desk with beautifully crafted dovetailed joints and an original label from a famous midcentury manufacturer. It may be worth money! Here’s how to sell used, vintage, and antique furniture locally.

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