Austin's most common code violations include high grass/weeds over 12 inches, illegal short-term rentals, unpermitted construction, junk vehicles, illegal dumping, and property maintenance failures. Austin City Code Chapters 25-2 (zoning) and 10-6 (property maintenance) govern most violations.
The most frequently reported code violations in Austin include: high grass and weeds exceeding 12 inches, illegal or unlicensed short-term rentals (a major enforcement focus given Austin's STR licensing requirements), unpermitted construction or additions, junk or inoperable vehicles visible from public right-of-way, illegal dumping and improper trash disposal, substandard housing conditions, and property maintenance failures (peeling paint, damaged structures, overgrown lots). Austin also enforces sign regulations, illegal parking on unpaved surfaces, and creek/waterway buffer violations. The city's Code Compliance team publishes a list of common violations to educate property owners. Austin City Code Chapter 25-2 (Land Development Code) and Chapter 10-6 (Property Maintenance) are the primary enforcement tools.
Fines range from $100 to $2,000 per day depending on violation type and repeat status. Habitual offenders face enhanced penalties.
Austin, TX
Austin City Code Chapter 9-2 establishes citywide quiet hours from 10:30 PM to 7:00 AM, during which sound plainly audible across a property line in resident...
Austin, TX
Austin enforces Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683 and Austin City Code Chapter 12-5: a vehicle on public right-of-way is abandoned if inoperable for more...
Austin, TX
Austin Land Development Code Chapter 25-2 Subchapter F caps residential fences at 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front yards without a permit. C...
Austin, TX
Austin City Code Chapter 3-4 requires dogs in public to be restrained on a leash no longer than 6 feet, with limited exceptions for designated off-leash area...
Austin, TX
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Austin, TX
Austin imposes no general restriction on year-round lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays on private residential property. The sign code (LDC 25-10...
See how Austin's common violations rules stack up against other locations.
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