Everett, WA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Declared by
- Snohomish Health District health officer
- Correction deadline
- 24 hours, or reasonable time
- Noncompliance
- city abates, bills owner
- Basis
- insanitary conditions, not general disrepair
- Covers
- buildings people occupy or congregate in
Summary
Everett's health officer can declare an occupied building an unsafe public nuisance over insanitary conditions and order the owner to fix it within 24 hours, abating it at the owner's expense if ignored.
N. Any building or structure in which people are housed or congregate for any purpose which in the opinion of the health officer has become dangerous for further occupancy because of insanitary conditions which may affect the health of the occupants or surrounding property owners;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under EMC 8.24.030(N), a building or structure where people live or gather counts as a public nuisance affecting health once the Snohomish Health District health officer decides it has become dangerous for further occupancy because of insanitary conditions threatening occupants or neighboring property owners. EMC 8.24.040 backs that declaration with real teeth: the health officer can order the owner, occupant, or user in writing to correct and remove the nuisance within twenty-four hours, or a longer reasonable deadline, and if the person fails to comply, the health officer can abate it directly and recover the cost by suing the owner. This is a health-based dangerous-building tool run by the county health district, not Everett's building department.
Violations & Fines
The health officer can order correction within 24 hours; noncompliance lets the health officer abate the nuisance directly and sue the owner in court to recover the cost, under EMC 8.24.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides an Everett building is a dangerous nuisance?
What happens if an Everett owner ignores the health officer's order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
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Property Blight in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle property blight.