Arvada, CO Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 18-478 amends International Property Maintenance Code section 108.1.5 to define exactly when a building or premises counts as dangerous under Arvada's code. The list runs to twelve separate conditions: unsafe egress that doesn't meet fire code, warped or unsafe walking surfaces, fire or flood damage likely to cause collapse, insufficient structural strength, dilapidation or foundation failure likely to cause collapse, a structure clearly unsafe for its use, a neglected or abandoned building that has become an attractive nuisance to children or a harbor for vagrants or criminals, code violations presenting a fire or collapse risk, dwelling conditions the code official determines unsanitary or unfit for human habitation, insufficient fire-resistance or utility systems the code official determines threaten life or health, remnants left after a demolition that constitute a hazard, and pre-existing structures that complied with code at the time of construction and haven't changed use.

Once the building official inspects and determines a structure meets any of these conditions, section 18-479 declares it a public nuisance and requires abatement by repair, rehabilitation, demolition, or removal. The owner can choose to repair to current code, demolish voluntarily, or, if the structure isn't an immediate danger, vacate and secure it against entry instead. If the danger is immediate, the building official can order the structure vacated outright. This sits alongside the general unlawful-acts provision at section 18-39(a)(6), which separately makes it unlawful to use or allow use of any unsafe structure or equipment, whether new, existing, under construction, or being demolished.