Erie, PA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)
Key Facts
- Ordinance
- No. 3-2023, passed 1-18-2023
- Applies to
- Registered vacant/foreclosure properties
- Artificial turf status
- Acceptable if residential-grade
- Not acceptable
- Weeds, gravel, broken concrete, asphalt
- Registration fee
- $300 every 6 months
- Enforcement remedy
- Corrective action + lien on property
Summary
Erie's vacant and foreclosure property maintenance rule, Article 749, names artificial turf or sod designed for residential installation as acceptable yard groundcover, alongside grass and plantings, while barring gravel, broken concrete and asphalt as substitutes. The rule applies to registered vacant and foreclosure properties, not every yard citywide.
Yard maintenance shall include, but not be limited to, grass, ground covers, bushes, shrubs, hedges or similar plantings, decorative rock or bark or artificial turf/sod designed specifically for residential installation. Acceptable maintenance of yards and/or landscape shall not include weeds, gravel, broken concrete, asphalt or similar material.
Full Breakdown
Article 749, adopted by Ordinance No. 3-2023, requires lenders and owners of vacant or foreclosure properties to register with the Office of Code Enforcement and then maintain those properties to specific standards. ' The same subsection draws the line on what does not qualify as acceptable maintenance: weeds, gravel, broken concrete, asphalt or similar material. 06(e) adds that maintenance includes watering, irrigation, cutting and mowing of required groundcover and removal of trimmings, which for a natural lawn keeps mowing obligations in play even where turf is allowed as an alternative.
05 requires lender inspection and registration within 10 days of a foreclosure filing, with a $300 registration fee every six months), this specific artificial-turf standard governs registered vacant and foreclosure lots rather than every occupied residential yard in the City.
Violations & Fines
Failure to maintain a registered vacant or foreclosure property's yard as required by Section 749.06, including substituting gravel or broken concrete for acceptable groundcover, is enforceable by the City's code enforcement officers under the article; Section 749.05(b)(10) authorizes the City to take corrective action and place a lien on the property for the cost of bringing it into compliance following an administrative or judicial finding of violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put artificial turf in my yard in Erie?
Does Erie's artificial turf rule apply to every house, or just vacant ones?
What yard materials are NOT allowed under Erie's vacant property rule?
Who has to register a vacant property in Erie under Article 749?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Erie
How Erie compares: Most Artificial Turf-Friendly Cities·Compare Erie to another location·View the Pennsylvania landscaping rules overview
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