Property Maintenance in Howard County, MD (2026)
2 rules for unincorporated Howard County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Property Blight
Howard County's Health Officer can declare a property a public-health nuisance under County Code Section 12.110 for conditions like overflowing sewage, vermin infestation, lead-paint hazards or improper refuse disposal, order the owner to correct it, and, under Section 12.112, fine violators up to $1,000 per offense or place a lien for abatement costs.
Howard County Nuisance Abatement Rules
Significant RestrictionsHoward County Code § 12.110 (Nuisances); § 12.112 (Remedies)
(a)Definition:(1)A nuisance occurs on property when the person who owns or rents the property:(i)Maintains the property in a condition that poses an actual or potential threat to health;(ii)Allows activities to take place on the property which pose an actual or potential threat to health; or(iii)Allows activities to take place on the property which interfere with another's proper use or enjoyme...
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Howard County regulates vacant lots through its Health Code nuisance rule. A vacant parcel that harbors vermin, accumulated refuse, or other health hazards is an abatable nuisance the Health Officer can order cleaned up.
Vacant and unmaintained lots in Howard County
Some RestrictionsHoward County Code Sec. 12.110
A nuisance includes water pollution, contaminated wells, open and abandoned wells, overflowing sewage, infestation with insects, vermin or rodents, unclean facilities for domestic animals and poultry, air pollution, improper refuse disposal.
All Howard County ordinances
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