Allentown limits grass and weed height on private property to 10 inches under the city property maintenance code and Chapter 1701. Property owners receive a notice of violation and roughly 10 days to cut before the city contracts the work and bills the owner. Recurring violations are added as liens against the property.
Allentown enforces the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) as adopted in Chapter 1701, supplemented by local amendments. Section 302.4 of the IPMC, as adopted by Allentown, requires that all premises and exterior property be maintained free from weeds or plant growth exceeding 10 inches in height. The Bureau of Building Standards and Safety inspects properties on complaint and proactively for vacant lots. After issuing a Notice of Violation, the owner has 10 days to mow. If uncorrected, the city contracts a vendor to perform the cut and bills the owner approximately $150–$400 plus administrative fees. Unpaid balances are filed as municipal liens against the property and collected with property taxes. Native landscaping and managed meadows may be permitted with a documented landscape plan approved by the Bureau, exempting designated areas from the height cap.
Initial notice carries no fine but requires action within 10 days. Failure to comply triggers a city-contracted mow billed to the owner plus a $50–$200 administrative fee. Continued violations result in citations of $100–$1,000 per occurrence and municipal liens for unpaid abatement costs.
Allentown, PA
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