There is no defensible space or brush clearance ordinance in New York County because the borough is fully built out urban area. Property owners must keep lots free of rubbish and overgrowth under the NYC Sanitation Code.
Manhattan does not have brush clearance or defensible-space ordinances similar to those in wildfire-prone counties. The closest equivalent is NYC Administrative Code Title 16 and Title 17 provisions that require property owners to keep their lots free of rubbish, debris, overgrown vegetation, and other nuisance conditions. The Department of Sanitation can issue summonses to owners of vacant or poorly maintained lots for failure to remove refuse or cut overgrown weeds and grass visible from public space. Because Manhattan has so little undeveloped land, brush clearance enforcement is rare and typically involves vacant lots scheduled for development. Street tree care on the public sidewalk is the responsibility of NYC Parks Department, not the adjacent owner, although owners may prune small branches with permission.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
New York County, NY
Manhattan enforces NYC Admin Code 24-235, which prohibits a dog from barking more than 10 minutes continuously during the day or 5 minutes at night in any re...
New York County, NY
Manhattan enforces NYC Administrative Code Title 24 Chapter 2, limiting interior residential noise to 45 dBA between 10 PM and 7 AM, with NYPD and DEP respon...
New York County, NY
Outdoor music events in Manhattan require an NYPD Sound Device Permit and a Mayor Office Street Activity Permit, and must comply with NYC Admin Code 24-244 t...
New York County, NY
NYC Admin Code Title 24 Chapter 2 sets tiered dBA limits in Manhattan: 45 dBA interior night residential, 50 dBA day, 7 to 10 dBA above ambient commercial, w...
New York County, NY
Private outdoor pools are rare in Manhattan, but any residential pool over 24 inches deep must have a 4-foot barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates u...
New York County, NY
Barbed and razor wire are prohibited on residential property in NYC. In landmarked or historic districts of Manhattan, the LPC controls fence materials and t...
See how New York County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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