Lakeville, MN Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Lakeville regulates property blight primarily through Title 4 (Health and Sanitation) of its City Code. Section 4-1-2 enumerates conditions that constitute a public nuisance, and Section 4-1-5 specifically addresses waste: any accumulation of refuse not stored in code-compliant containers, or any accumulation of refuse that has remained on a premises for more than one week, is declared a nuisance. Such nuisances may be abated by order of the City Health Officer, as provided by Minnesota Statutes section 145A.04, subdivision 8, and the cost of abatement may be assessed against the property where the nuisance was found. Other blight-related rules are scattered through the code: junk motor vehicles are prohibited from outdoor storage (Chapter 19), and most materials and equipment must be stored inside a building such as a garage or shed (Chapter 22). For seriously deteriorated structures, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 463 lets a municipality order an owner to correct, repair, raze or remove a 'hazardous building or property' that, because of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, physical damage, unsanitary condition, or abandonment, constitutes a fire hazard or hazard to public safety or health. Lakeville's Building Inspections Department also enforces the Property Maintenance Code on existing structures. Residents with concerns can contact the City at 952-985-4400.