Auburn, AL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

The City of Auburn's Inspection Services Department promotes healthy neighborhoods by enforcing standards on property upkeep and the elimination of health hazards caused by garbage, junk, trash, and other adverse exterior conditions. Auburn enforces the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), citing Section 106.3 of that code as the basis for prosecuting violations, alongside provisions of the Auburn City Code. The city states it takes vacant and blighted properties seriously because of the negative impact they have on surrounding neighborhoods. Common blight-related violations include junk and trash accumulation, overgrown vegetation, improper structure numbering (governed by IPMC Section 304.3 and the International Building/Residential Codes), and deteriorated exterior conditions. The enforcement process is complaint-driven: residents report concerns by phone, mail, online, or through the Auburn FixIt app. A Codes Enforcement Officer investigates and verifies the violation, then issues a written warning notice specifying the violation and a compliance timeline. After re-inspection, continued non-compliance can result in a civil citation and a court appearance, and the city may abate the violation itself with the costs charged back to the property owner. Auburn's framework rests on adopted international codes plus local enforcement procedures rather than a single standalone 'blight' statute, so specific corrective standards trace to the IPMC sections the city has adopted.