Meriden, CT Code Violation Reporting: Common Violations (2026)

Section 159-3 of the Anti-Blight Ordinance lists conditions A through R under the definition of BLIGHT, and a property need only meet one to qualify. The list runs from becoming dilapidated or not being maintained, to being a fire hazard as determined by the Fire Marshal, being unsanitary per a Department of Health report, or creating a substantial and unreasonable interference with a neighbor's use of their property. Several conditions are the ones code enforcement sees most often on inspection: rodent harborage or infestation, overgrown shrubs, brush or weeds, parking areas left in disrepair or used to store abandoned or unregistered vehicles, chimneys or overhanging extensions in a state of disrepair, graffiti, and garbage not kept in standard containers or scattered across the yard.

The list continues with dead, decayed or hazardous trees, noxious plants such as poison ivy or ragweed left to grow unchecked, stagnant or unsanitary water where mosquitoes can breed, and refuse or filth discharged into a stream, well or other inland waters. Section 159-3 also defines DILAPIDATED and NOT BEING MAINTAINED separately, covering damaged siding, roofing or gutters, missing or improperly boarded windows and doors, and structural damage from fire, wind or neglect that makes a building unsafe or unsightly. Any of these conditions, once confirmed, exposes the responsible owner, agent or tenant to enforcement under § 159-2's blanket prohibition.