Oxford, MA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Worcester County does not handle weed abatement — each of the 60 municipalities does because county government was abolished in 1998. The City of Worcester's Property Maintenance provisions (Revised Ordinances Chapter 13) require owners to keep parcels free of excessive weeds, rank vegetation, and debris; the Department of Inspectional Services (ISD) and Department of Public Health can issue notices and, on non-compliance, arrange municipal abatement with the cost assessed as a lien under MGL c. 139 §3A. Vacant and foreclosed lots in Worcester's Main South, Piedmont, and Bell Hill neighborhoods receive heightened enforcement, and Worcester has adopted the MGL c. 40U administrative fine system enabling fines up to $300/day. Invasive species of concern in Worcester County include Japanese knotweed (common along the Blackstone River corridor), purple loosestrife, multiflora rose, and Oriental bittersweet. Massachusetts Prohibited Plants List (333 CMR 2.00) bans sale and propagation of specific invasives. Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner, Webster, and Milford operate similar abatement programs. State Sanitary Code 105 CMR 410.551 provides additional enforcement leverage for rental property grounds through local Boards of Health.