Property Maintenance in Erie, PA (2026)
3 verified property maintenance rules for Erie, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Property Blight
Erie's Building Code Official or Fire Inspector may declare any building, structure or equipment unsafe under Codified Ordinances § 1503.55 and order it vacated immediately, including any vacant building left unsecured against entry.
Erie Can Order Unsafe Buildings Vacated
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Erie, PA, § 1503.55 (Unsafe building, structure or equipment)
A Building Code Official or Fire Inspector may determine that a building, structure or equipment is unsafe because of inadequate means of egress, inadequate light and ventilation, fire hazard, other dangers to human life or the public welfare, illegal or improper occupancy or inadequate maintenance. A vacant building or structure that is not secured against entry is unsafe under this section. W...
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Owners of any Erie building vacant for more than 180 days must register it with the Office of Code Enforcement and pay a $300 fee every six months. Registered vacant and foreclosure properties must be kept free of weeds, overgrown brush, trash and debris, secured against entry, and violators face a $500 civil penalty.
Erie Vacant Property Registration and Upkeep Rules
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Erie, PA, Article 749 (Vacant and Foreclosure Property), §§ 749.05(a)(1),(3), 749.06(a), 749.99
(a)(1) Each owner of any building or structure located on real property that has been vacant for more than 180 consecutive days shall register the property with the Office of Code Enforcement, or designee, on forms or website access provided by the City. ... (3) A nonrefundable registration fee in the amount of $300 shall accompany the registration form or website registration, and said amount ...
Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Erie property occupants must clear snow, ice or sleet from the sidewalk in front of their premises within three hours after it stops falling, under a 1934 ordinance still in force. Ice too hard to remove safely must be sanded, and violators face a $300 fine per offense.
Erie Sidewalk Snow Must Be Cleared in 3 Hours
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Erie, PA, Article 717 (Snow and Ice Removal), §§ 717.01, 717.02, 717.99
It shall be the duty of the occupant of any dwelling, tenement, store, storehouse, shop, garage, factory or other building fronting on any paved or unpaved sidewalk in any public street or around the public parks in the City...to remove or cause to be removed all snow, ice or sleet from the sidewalk, whether paved or unpaved, in front of the respective premises within three hours after the same...