Spokane County, WA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- SCC Chapter 6.13 (Nuisances)
- Adopted
- Res. 2026-0686, Dec 16 2025
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Spokane County
- Penalty
- $250 class 1 civil infraction/day
- Enforcement
- Spokane County Code Enforcement
Summary
In unincorporated Spokane County, letting your property fall into a blighting condition is a nuisance. SCC Chapter 6.13 makes anyone in charge maintain their property free of nuisances that depress land values or endanger community health and safety.
Nuisances create blight, depress land values, generate health hazards, damage the environment and wildlife habitat, provide breeding grounds for pests, attract illegal dumping of other solid waste and hazardous substances, lead to criminal behavior, and detrimentally affect the health and safety of communities in unincorporated Spokane County.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
The county's 2025-adopted nuisance chapter (SCC 6.13) targets blight directly: it exists to eliminate conditions that 'create blight, depress land values, generate health hazards' and attract illegal dumping. Every person 'has a duty to maintain their property in a lawful manner, free of nuisances' and to exercise reasonable diligence keeping it that way. A nuisance is any act or condition that 'unreasonably interferes with, annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others.' The obligation runs with the land, binding all current and future owners. Code enforcement seeks voluntary compliance first, then civil infractions.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 6.13 is a class 1 civil infraction with a $250 monetary penalty (per day), plus abatement costs and a lien of equal rank with taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the county chase blight, or just cities?
Can a nuisance become legal over time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington property maintenance overview
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