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Property Maintenance in Las Cruces, NM (2026)

2 verified property maintenance rules for Las Cruces, New Mexico, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Property Blight

Las Cruces enforces property upkeep through Codes Enforcement under Chapter 18 (Nuisances) of the Municipal Code, fielding about 17,000 calls a year. Weeds, accumulated trash, junk, and inoperable vehicles are nuisances, correctable under threat of a $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Las Cruces Property Blight & Nuisance Enforcement

Heavy Restrictions

Las Cruces, NM, Code of Ordinances § 18-2 (Nuisances enumerated)

A person convicted of a violation of this Code shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense.

Vacant Lot Maintenance

Las Cruces restricts how owners of vacant or undeveloped lots can clear vegetation, limiting weed removal to mowing or hand digging, banning full-property clearing, and protecting mature trees that hold soil in place. The Land Development Code ties the rule to its wind erosion ordinance, and violations are a petty misdemeanor carrying up to a $500-per-day fine.

Las Cruces Vacant Lot Weed & Erosion Rules

Some Restrictions

Las Cruces, NM, Land Development Code § 32-302(d), (i)(3), (l)(6)

"Vacant lot" means a subdivided or unsubdivided parcel of land which contains no buildings or structures of a temporary or permanent nature, excluding perimeter walls or fences... Vacant land—Weed management.a.For all vacant or undeveloped lots or parcels, weed eradication is limited to the removal of weeds only by mowing or individual hand digging. Adjacent natural vegetation should not be rem...

Looking for Doña Ana County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Las Cruces city rules.

Property Maintenance in Doña Ana County