Harford County, MD Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 162-6, Condemnation; unsafe structures and equipment; vacation, gives Harford County's Code Official the authority to find that a structure, or part of it, is unsafe or unfit for human occupancy and to recommend condemnation to the Director of the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits. After a further inspection, the Director may order the structure, or the affected part, placarded and vacated, and it may not be reoccupied without the Code Official's approval. Subsection B defines an unsafe structure as one that is dangerous to life, health, property or occupant safety because it lacks minimum fire protection or is damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe, of faulty construction, or has an unstable foundation likely to collapse in whole or in part.

Subsection D adds a companion standard for a structure unfit for human occupancy: unsanitary conditions, vermin or rodent infestation, filth or contamination, or a lack of required ventilation, illumination, sanitary or heating facilities. If a property owner fails to close or vacate the premises within the time specified in the order, § 162-6E lets the county close the structure itself, through a public agency or private contractor, and charge the cost against the real property as a lien collectible the same way as delinquent real property taxes under § 123-32.

Notice procedures, appeal rights to the Director and then the Circuit Court, and the county's transfer-of-ownership disclosure duty for a cited property all run through the surrounding §§ 162-7 through 162-9.