Property Maintenance in Gary, IN (2026)
3 verified property maintenance rules for Gary, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Property Blight
Gary adopts Indiana's unsafe building law, IC 36-7-9, by reference as its own unsafe building code, administered by the Building Commissioner under Municipal Code § 105-724. Owners of any vacant or abandoned building must paint boarded-up plywood or other covering material to complement the building's existing color and style, under § 105-728.
Gary Unsafe and Vacant Building Rules
Some RestrictionsGary Municipal Code §§ 105-724, 105-728
The provisions of IC 36-7-9 are adopted by reference as the city's unsafe building code. Two copies of this material are on file in the clerk's office and available there for public inspection. ... The owner of any vacant or abandoned building within the city shall be required to paint any plywood or other material used in boarding up the building. All such painting required by this section sha...
Vacant Lot Maintenance
In the City of Gary it is unlawful to throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private lot, whether the person doing it owns the property or not. Gary Municipal Code § 34-29 backs the broader duty in article II of chapter 34 that every owner keep private property free of litter at all times.
Gary Ban on Litter on Vacant Lots
Some RestrictionsGary Municipal Code § 34-29
Sec. 34-29. - Vacant lots. No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property within the city whether owned by that person or not.
Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Gary requires whoever owns, leases or occupies a building or lot to clear ice and snow from the abutting sidewalk, with deadlines that depend on when the snow falls and whether the property sits in a residential or business district, under Municipal Code §§ 36-45 through 36-47. Residential sidewalks need only a four-foot cleared path; business sidewalks must be cleared completely.
Gary Sets Sidewalk Snow Removal Deadlines
Some RestrictionsGary Municipal Code §§ 36-45, 36-46, 36-47
(a)Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant, or other person having charge of any building or lot of ground in the city abutting upon any street shall remove the ice and snow from the sidewalk in front of the building or ground. In the residential districts, the snow and ice shall be removed from the sidewalks abutting buildings or lots of ground for a space of four feet in width; however, any sid...
Looking for Lake County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Gary city rules.
Property Maintenance in Lake County →