Houston County, GA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code § 30-173(e)
- Applies to
- Properties registered abandoned under § 30-172
- Allowed material
- Turf/sod made for residential use
- Excluded materials
- Gravel, plastic sheeting, indoor-outdoor carpet
- Penalty
- Strict-liability misdemeanor, § 30-177
Summary
Houston County's abandoned-property maintenance code lets artificial turf or sod "designed specifically for residential installation" count as acceptable landscaping on bank-owned and foreclosed properties, but only for parcels already registered as abandoned under section 30-172. It is not a general yard rule for occupied homes elsewhere in the county.
(e)Landscaping includes, but is not limited to, grass, ground covers, bushes, shrubs, hedges or similar plantings, decorative rock or bark or artificial turf/sod designed specifically for residential installation.(f)Landscaping does not include weeds, gravel, broken concrete, asphalt, plastic sheeting, mulch, indoor-outdoor carpet or any similar material.
Full Breakdown
Article IX of Chapter 30 (Registration and Maintenance of Abandoned Properties), adopted 9-7-10, applies to any property a lender or trustee must register as "abandoned" after a notice of default, trustee's sale, or foreclosure under section 30-172. " Subsection (f) then draws the line on what does not count: weeds, gravel, broken concrete, asphalt, plastic sheeting, mulch, or indoor-outdoor carpet. The front and side yards of a registered property must still be "landscaped and maintained to the neighborhood standard" under subsection (d). Because this article only governs properties already in the abandoned-property registry, an occupied single-family home in unincorporated Houston County is not independently authorized, or restricted, on artificial turf by this section, since the county's general landscaping rules elsewhere in the code do not otherwise mention synthetic turf.
Failing to meet the maintenance standard on a registered property, including letting the required landscaping lapse, is a strict-liability misdemeanor under section 30-177, punishable per section 1-11, and the county can pursue civil abatement under section 30-41 as well.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install or maintain acceptable landscaping, including residential-grade artificial turf, on a property already registered as abandoned under section 30-172 is a strict-liability misdemeanor under section 30-177, regardless of intent, punishable under section 1-11. The county may also pursue a separate civil abatement action against the property under section 30-41.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install artificial turf on a foreclosed property in Houston County?
Does this rule cover my regular occupied home's yard?
What materials are NOT considered acceptable landscaping under this section?
What happens if a registered abandoned property isn't properly landscaped?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Houston County
How Houston County compares: Most Artificial Turf-Friendly Cities·Compare Houston County to another location·View the Georgia landscaping rules overview
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