Lakeland, FL Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 86-2(a) declares it a public nuisance for a lot, tract or parcel in Lakeland to have an "excessive accumulation or untended growth of weeds, undergrowth or other dead or living plant life" or accumulated rubbish, garbage or debris to an extent that the property could become infested by rodents, vermin or wild animals, breed mosquitoes, or endanger public health or safety. " The ordinance defines a "weed" as any plant that, from abandonment or lack of care, chokes out other plant material, including dead, dying or unattended named or unnamed plant life.

Section 86-2(b) makes it the property owner's duty to control excessive growth both on the lot itself and on the adjoining right-of-way between the property and the street, and to keep any swimming pool on the property drained if it becomes stagnant or unsanitary. If the code enforcement division finds abatement necessary, § 86-6 requires the city to mail the owner written notice describing the lot and directing the owner to clean, clear or remove the debris. Under § 86-7(a), if the owner fails to act within seven days of that mailing, the city clears the lot itself, and § 86-7(c)-(d) lets the city bill the owner for the actual cost plus administrative and nuisance-abatement fees; unpaid charges become a lien on the property bearing eight percent annual interest under a city commission resolution.