NYC Admin Code 16-118 requires owners to keep lots free of weeds and rank growth. DSNY and HPD enforce. Practical threshold is around 10 inches of unchecked growth on vacant or neglected lots in the Bronx.
There is no universal grass-height number in NYC code, but Admin Code 16-118 bars rank weeds, rubbish, and dirt on any lot or yard. DSNY issues sanitation summonses for unkempt lots; HPD issues housing maintenance code violations for residential property. Typical threshold for enforcement action is weeds/grass above 10 inches. The Bronx has many absentee-owned lots where this rule is actively enforced.
DSNY summons: $100 first offense, up to $300 repeat. HPD Class B violations also possible. Liens can attach if City abates.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Bronx County, NY
Open burning is prohibited in Bronx County under both NYC Fire Code FC 307 and 6 NYCRR Part 215. Burning leaves, brush, trash, or yard waste is illegal year-...
Bronx County, NY
Bronx County is not in a designated wildfire hazard zone. No WUI maps, Cal Fire-equivalent designations, or Chapter 7A-style construction rules apply in NYC.
Bronx County, NY
Bronx County follows NYC Fire Code (Title 29). Open flames and recreational fires are prohibited on terraces, balconies, roofs, and within 10 feet of combust...
Bronx County, NY
Backyard recreational fires are only allowed at 1-2 family homes with private yards, using approved portable fire pits under 3 feet wide. Apartment buildings...
Bronx County, NY
NYC Administrative Code 27-2045 requires working smoke alarms in every dwelling unit. Since 2019 all replacement alarms must be sealed 10-year battery or har...
Bronx County, NY
The Bronx is a dense urban borough with no wildland-urban interface, so there is no defensible space ordinance. Property owners must still maintain lots free...
See how Bronx County's grass height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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