San Mateo County, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

San Mateo County's Code Compliance Section (Planning and Building Department) enforces zoning, building, and other land-use regulations and addresses public nuisances created by a lack of property maintenance throughout the unincorporated area. The County describes a public nuisance using examples such as an abandoned car or a large amount of refuse collecting in a yard. The County's Notice of Violation forms apply property-maintenance standards drawn from the International Property Maintenance Code, including a requirement that accessory structures such as detached garages, fences, and walls be maintained in good repair and in a structurally sound condition. The abatement process begins when the Code Enforcement Unit issues either a Notice of Code Violation or a Notice and Order to Abate. For a public nuisance, the person receiving the order has 10 days to correct the situation; if it is not corrected, the County may step in (for example, towing a vehicle or removing refuse) and bill the property owner for actual costs plus a 15% administrative fee. Abatement orders may be appealed by filing a written request for a hearing with the County officer who ordered the abatement; the Board of Supervisors hears appeals involving nuisances, while a separate Abandoned Vehicle Hearing Officer hears vehicle appeals. Zoning-regulation violations cannot be appealed. Code Compliance works cooperatively with owners first and reserves citations, fines, and abatement for cases where voluntary compliance fails.