Bethlehem's Property Maintenance: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles property maintenance a little differently. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, there are 4 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Trash Bin Storage

Bethlehem's Codified Ordinance Article 1162, Solid Waste Collection and Enforcement (enacted by Ord. 2016-14, passed 6/7/2016), requires under §1162.03 that all containers used to store solid waste be composed of a rigid material and leak proof, with tight fitting lids to prevent scavenging by animals. Under §1162.07(b) containers may not be stored in the front of any building (unless there is no rear or side access) and may not be stored more than five feet from the front, rear or sides of a building. Bagged loose trash placed without an approved primary container violates §1162.08(c). Penalties under §1162.99 escalate from $200 (first offense) to $1,000 (third).

Key details: Ordinance: Codified Ordinance Article 1162 (Ord. 2016-14). Container Standard (§1162.03): Rigid material, leak proof, tight-fitting lids. Front-of-Building Storage: Prohibited unless no rear/side access (§1162.07(b)(1)). Max Distance From Building: 5 feet from front/rear/sides (§1162.07(b)(2)). First-Offense Fine (§1162.99): $200 or 30 days, or both.

Container violations are enforced under §1162.99 with a fine of $200 or thirty days imprisonment (or both) for the first violation, $500 or sixty days for the second, and $1,000 or ninety days for the third and subsequent violations - and each continuing day of violation shall constitute a separate offense under §1162.99(b). The Director of Community and Economic Development may designate the enforcement officers and issue citations directly. If an owner refuses, neglects or fails to comply, §1162.10 authorizes the Director to engage all labor and furnish all materials necessary to comply, with the cost plus twenty percent added as a penalty certified to the City Solicitor and entered as a lien against the property in the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton or Lehigh Counties under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act, 53 P.S. §7101. Section §1162.12 makes the owner equally liable with any tenant for violations.

Property Blight

Bethlehem addresses property blight through three layered authorities: (1) locally, Article 1732 (Abandoned Real Property, Ord. 2013-19, effective 8/28/2013) creates a mandatory registry administered by the Bureau of Housing for properties in default, foreclosure, or transferred under deed in lieu, and defines 'Blighted Property' at §1732.02; (2) Article 1733 (Ord. 2017-35/2022-10) adopts the 2018 ICC International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments, including §304.20 boarded-window 60-day rule and §308.4 prohibition on indoor furniture stored outdoors; (3) statewide, Pennsylvania's Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act (Act 90 of 2010, 53 P.S. §6101) and the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act (68 P.S. §1101) provide additional remedies including extraterritorial owner liability and court-appointed conservatorship.

Key details: Local Blight Definition: Codified Ordinance §1732.02 (4 criteria). IPMC Adopted: 2018 ICC IPMC via Article 1733 (Ord. 2017-35/2022-10). State Authority - Act 90 of 2010: 53 P.S. §6101 (Neighborhood Blight Reclamation). State Authority - Conservatorship: 68 P.S. §1101 (Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act). §1732.99 Civil Penalty Schedule: $1,000 → $3,000 → $7,000 → $10,000.

Failure to register an abandoned property under §1732.05 (within 10 days of the mortgagee's vacancy inspection) carries the steepest civil penalty schedule in Bethlehem code: §1732.99 sets $1,000 for the first and second violations, $3,000 for the third, $7,000 for the fourth, and $10,000 for the fifth and subsequent violations. A non-refundable annual registration fee of $200 per property applies under §1732.99(a). IPMC violations under Article 1733 carry the §106.4 schedule of $200/$500/$1,000 for first/second/third+ violations, with each continuing day a separate offense. Under §1732.05(i) the City may take necessary action to bring the property into compliance and lien the cost to the property under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act, 53 P.S. §7101. Under §1732.10 an Enforcement Officer may temporarily secure the property at the mortgagee's expense and bring violations before the magistrate; if the mortgagee does not reimburse within 30 days of invoice, the cost plus administrative fee is liened to the property under §1732.10(d). Under PA Act 90 of 2010 (53 P.S. §6121) the City may deny municipal permits to any owner with serious code violations anywhere in the Commonwealth.

This is one of the stricter rules in Bethlehem's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Vacant Lot Maintenance

Vacant lots and buildings in Bethlehem are subject to layered requirements: (1) Article 1732 (Abandoned Real Property) requires every mortgagee holding a mortgage on Bethlehem property to inspect upon mortgagor default and, if vacant, register within 10 days with the Bureau of Housing under §1732.05, with a $200 non-refundable annual fee; (2) the 2018 IPMC at §302.4 (as adopted by Article 1733) caps weeds/plant growth at 12 inches; (3) §1732.07 requires vacant structures to be maintained in a 'secure manner' with broken windows re-glazed and doors locked; (4) failure to register carries the most severe civil-penalty schedule in city code at $1,000-$10,000 per §1732.99.

Key details: Registry Requirement: 10 days from mortgagee's vacancy inspection (§1732.05). Registration Fee: $200 non-refundable annual fee per property. Weed/Grass Height Cap: 12 inches maximum (IPMC §302.4). Security Standard: §1732.07 - re-glazed broken windows, locked doors. Failure-to-Register Penalty: $1,000 → $3,000 → $7,000 → $10,000 (§1732.99).

Failure to register a vacant or abandoned property under §1732.05 carries the most aggressive civil-penalty schedule in Bethlehem's code: $1,000 for the first and second violation, $3,000 for the third, $7,000 for the fourth, and $10,000 for the fifth and subsequent violations (§1732.99(b)). The 2018 IPMC §302.4 12-inch weed cap is enforced as an IPMC violation under §106.4 of Article 1733: $200 first, $500 second, $1,000 third+ - with each continuing day a separate offense. Under §1732.05(i) and §1732.10(d) the City may perform necessary work to bring the property into compliance (mowing, securing, etc.) and lien the cost plus administrative fee to the property tax bill under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act, 53 P.S. §7101. The City may also pursue conservatorship under the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act, 68 P.S. §1101 et seq., or deny permits citywide under PA Act 90 of 2010 (53 P.S. §6121).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Bethlehem actively enforces its vacant lot maintenance requirements.

Snow & Sidewalk Clearing

Bethlehem Codified Ordinance §721.03 (Article 721 - Streets and Sidewalks) requires every person owning, controlling, or occupying any lot adjoining or fronting upon a street in the City to remove snow and ice from the sidewalk within 24 hours after the rain, snow, sleet, or hail has ceased to fall. The City's official Snow Plowing/Removal FAQ from the Department of Public Works clarifies that compliance is satisfied if a cleared portion at least 3 feet wide has been made on the sidewalk. The handicap-ramp at the corner is the abutting owner's responsibility. Shoveling or plowing snow into the street or right-of-way is a separate nuisance violation under the same section.

Key details: Local Ordinance: Codified Ordinance §721.03 (Article 721). Removal Deadline: 24 hours after precipitation ceases. Cleared Path Width: 3 feet (per DPW Snow Removal FAQ). ADA Ramp Responsibility: Abutting property owner. Max Fine (§721.99): $300 + costs, or up to 90 days imprisonment.

Failure to clear within 24 hours after precipitation ceases is a violation of §721.03, and the property owner 'shall be guilty of maintaining a nuisance.' Penalties under §721.99 are a fine of not more than three hundred dollars ($300.00) for each separate violation, together with costs, or imprisonment of not more than ninety days if the fine and costs are not paid (Ord. 1758 passed 11/13/1962, last amended by Ord. 2009-39 passed 12/22/2009). The duty is non-delegable in the practical sense - leases may shift the work to a tenant, but the City may cite the owner. Plowing snow from a private driveway or off-street parking lot into the street is a separate §721.03 nuisance violation, ticketable by Bethlehem Police, and the abutting owner remains civilly liable to pedestrians injured on an uncleared sidewalk under Pennsylvania premises-liability law where the City has shifted the duty to the abutting owner by ordinance.

The Bottom Line

Bethlehem is tougher than many cities when it comes to property maintenance. Out of the 4 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Bethlehem, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Bethlehem's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.