Worcester, MA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Section 42(b)(2) of the Revised Ordinances requires that all property be maintained free of vegetation over twelve inches high that is or may reasonably become infested with rodents, vermin, or other animals, conceal pools of stagnant water, or create a fire safety hazard. The same subsection separately bans keeping overgrown, decayed, dead, or hazardous trees, shrubs, or any other vegetation that poses a hazard to the health and safety of any person in the vicinity of the property, including people on public sidewalks or streets and neighboring parcels.

The rule applies citywide to any property, occupied or vacant, under the broader property-standards clause in § 42(b)(1). c. 111, § 124 describing the violation. c. 111, § 125. c. 40, § 21D, and each day the overgrowth continues past the deadline is treated as a separate violation. City-owned and Commonwealth-owned land is exempt from enforcement.