5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Durham County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
In Durham, private garbage carts may not sit on a public street or sidewalk except on your collection day, or as the solid-waste director directs. Carts must be watertight with tight covers and handles, and removed after pickup.
Durham City Code Sec. 58-130
No private refuse receptacle of any kind shall be placed or remain upon any public street or sidewalk, on Sunday or on any other day that is not a collection day, or otherwise than as prescribed by the director or as prescribed herein.
Letting refuse or debris accumulate on your Durham property is a declared public nuisance. Junk furniture left exposed outdoors is also prohibited. The housing code administrator orders cleanup and can abate at the owner's expense.
Durham City Code Sec. 26-183(1)
A place upon which refuse or debris is permitted or caused to accumulate. The term "refuse or debris" shall be taken to refer to all classifications of solid waste and shall include garbage, rubbish, ashes, street refuse, dead animals, abandoned automobiles and industrial refuse.
Vacant lots in Durham are held to the same standard as occupied ones. Dense weeds, vines, briars, or undergrowth, and accumulated refuse on an unoccupied lot are declared public nuisances the City can order cleared and abate at the owner's cost.
Durham City Code Sec. 26-181
It is further found and determined that there exist in the city lots and tracts of land, occupied and unoccupied, privately and publicly owned, upon which dense growths of weeds, vines, briars or undergrowth have been allowed to grow, accumulate or remain.
Durham allows garage or yard sales in residential zones with no permit if you follow three rules: daylight hours only, no more than two consecutive days, and no more than one sale per property every three months.
Durham UDO — Outdoor Sales (garage/yard sales)
Garage or yard sales are allowed in residential zoning districts, without any permits or approvals if they follow the rules below. a. Sales can only occur during daylight hours; b. Sales can only last two consecutive days; and c. Each property can have no more than one sale every three months.
In Durham, dense weeds, grass, vines, or briars over 12 inches tall within 100 feet of a public street or 50 feet of a building are a public nuisance. You must cut them to no more than six inches.
Durham City Code Sec. 26-183(2)
a place of dense growth of weeds, grass, vines, or briars over 12 inches in height, and within either 100 feet of an abutting public street or 50 feet of a house or other residential, commercial or industrial building ... shall be cleared and cut to not more than six inches in height.
1 cities in Durham County have their own property maintenance rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Durham County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Durham County Ordinance Hub →