Kent County, DE Code Violation Reporting: Response Times (2026)
Key Facts
- Fast track
- 48 hours, six categories under § 90-3.A
- Slow track
- 5 to 30 days, ten other Code chapters
- Clock start
- Mailing, hand delivery, or posting, § 90-1.C
- Extensions
- Granted at County Official's discretion
- Late fines
- $100, $200, $300 escalating, § 90-8.A
- Appeal window
- 10 days to Board of Appeals
Summary
Kent County Code § 90-3 sets two response clocks: safety, health, unpermitted-structure, hazardous-condition, smoke-detector and mechanical-equipment violations must be fixed within 48 hours of posting, while everything else, including Zoning, Subdivision, Property Maintenance and seven other chapters, gets five to 30 days "as deemed appropriate by the designated County Official," with extensions available at that official's discretion.
A. The following categories of violations of provisions set forth in Kent County codes and ordinances will have 48 hours to comply: (1) Safety violation: Public and/or personal safety and welfare, including, but not limited to, all railings, fencing and barrier requirements. [...] (6) Mechanical equipment: Any mechanical equipment, including water heaters, fireplaces and solid-fuel-burning appliances not installed properly and/or maintained in a safe working condition. B. All remaining violations of Chapter 101, Accessory Dwelling Units, Chapter 105, Building Construction, Chapter 116, Drainage Standards, Chapter 143, Housing Standards, Chapter 156, Manufactured Homes, Chapter 171, Parking, Chapter 175, Property Maintenance, and Chapter 187, Subdivision and Land Development, Chapter 188, Floodplain Management, and Chapter 205, Zoning, shall be remediated within five to 30 days as deemed appropriate by the designated County Official. Extensions may be granted at the discretion of the designated County Official.
Full Breakdown
Amended October 14, 2025 by Ord. No. A gives owners just 48 hours to correct six categories of violation once an Enforcement Constable posts the property: safety hazards (railings, fencing, barriers), health hazards (sanitation, stagnant water, rodent or insect infestation), unpermitted construction, hazardous conditions (open pits, wells, failing septic systems, structures in imminent danger of collapsing), missing operating smoke detectors, and improperly maintained mechanical equipment such as water heaters and fireplaces. B slows the clock for ten other chapters of the County Code, covering Accessory Dwelling Units, Building Construction, Drainage Standards, Housing Standards, Manufactured Homes, Parking, Property Maintenance, Subdivision and Land Development, Floodplain Management, and Zoning: those violations must be "remediated within five to 30 days as deemed appropriate by the designated County Official," and extensions are available at that official's discretion.
G sends the case into Chapter 90's penalty and enforcement provisions, which can include administrative ticketing under § 90-8 and, for unsafe or unpermitted work, a cease-and-desist order under § 90-9.
Violations & Fines
Missing either deadline moves the case to ticketing: § 90-8.A sets fines of $100 for a first ticket, $200 for a second, and $300 for subsequent tickets within a year, doubling if unpaid within 30 days. Property owners aggrieved by a ticket or notice may appeal to the Board of Appeals within 10 days under § 90-18.B.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent County
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