Los Banos, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Vacancy limit
- 60 days, § 10-3.122
- Adopted by
- Ord. 1059, eff. Dec. 7, 2007
- Boarding material
- 5/8-inch plywood, 3/4-inch security door
- Monitoring fee
- Annual, set by Council resolution
- Waiver appeal window
- 15 days to Building Official
- Nonpayment consequence
- Special assessment and lien on property
Summary
Los Banos treats a neglected vacant or boarded building as blight and a public nuisance. Under § 10-3.122 no responsible party may let a building sit vacant more than 60 days unless it is under active repair, actively listed for sale or rent while code-compliant, or kept in safe, orderly condition, and § 10-3.120 makes noncompliance a Code violation and public nuisance.
Every owner or responsible person shall maintain their vacant or boarded building in accordance with all of the requirements set forth herein. Failure to do so constitutes a violation of this Code and a public nuisance. ... No responsible party shall allow a building to stand vacant for more than 60 days, unless one of the following applies: (a) The building is the subject of an active building permit and the owner is progressing diligently to repair the premises for occupancy; (b) The building meets all applicable codes in existence at either the time of its construction or at the time of its alteration or modification and is actively being offered for sale, lease, or rent; (c) The building is being maintained in a safe and orderly manner and does not contribute to blight conditions;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4356507; v3 updated 2025-03-05).
Full Breakdown
116, describe why: neglected vacant buildings attract transients and criminals, create fire risk from primitive cooking or heating, become dumping grounds for debris and drug paraphernalia, and when simply boarded up for long stretches discourage economic development and drag down neighboring property values. Adopted by Ordinance No. 119). 122 caps how long a building may sit vacant at 60 days unless it is under active repair with a live building permit, is code-compliant and actively listed for sale, lease or rent, or is otherwise maintained in a safe, orderly way that does not contribute to blight, including kept landscaping, exterior paint and finishes, and regular removal of trash, debris and graffiti.
121. 123 layers on an annual vacant building monitoring fee the Council sets by resolution, capped at the reasonable cost of monitoring; the Building Official can waive it if the owner is diligently repairing under permit, the building is code-compliant and actively marketed, or the fee would cause substantial hardship, and an unpaid fee becomes a special assessment and lien on the property.
Violations & Fines
Section 10-3.120 makes failure to maintain a vacant or boarded building as required a violation of the Code and a public nuisance in its own right. An owner who disputes a monitoring-fee waiver denial has 15 days to appeal in writing to the Building Official under § 10-3.123, or loses the right to an administrative hearing; an unpaid fee is specially assessed against the property and collected, with penalties, the same way as delinquent property taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a building sit vacant in Los Banos before it's a violation?
Does Los Banos charge a fee for a vacant or boarded building?
What plywood does Los Banos require for boarding up a vacant building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Banos
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Banos to another location·View the California property maintenance overview
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