Madison, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MGO § 27.05(2)-(3)
- Vacant + unsecured
- Declared a public nuisance
- Boarding approval
- Prior written OK from Building Inspection
- Fire/damage buildings
- Must be fenced off entirely
- Notice before sale/unboarding
- 10 days written notice required
- Non-compliance fee
- $75 per failed re-inspection
Summary
A vacant, unsecured building in Madison is a declared public nuisance the owner must abate by securing it, boarding openings, clearing trespassers and animal debris, and fire- or damage-hazard buildings that can't be conventionally locked must instead be fenced off entirely.
(2)Vacant Buildings.(a)Requirement to Secure Vacant Buildings. Any building which is vacant and unsecured for any reason constitutes a public nuisance. No person may maintain or permit a public nuisance within the City. The owner or operator shall abate the nuisance by securing the building, including any shed or outbuilding, against entry by persons or animals... (3)Damaged Buildings. When any building has been damaged by fire or other cause, hazardous or dangerous conditions exist, and the building cannot be secured by conventional locking or boarding up of windows and doors, such building shall be fenced off so as to prevent access and entry to the structure and the area immediately surrounding the structure.
Full Breakdown
05(2), part of the Safe and Sanitary Maintenance of Property section of the Minimum Housing and Property Maintenance Code, declares any vacant and unsecured building a public nuisance regardless of the reason it's vacant. The owner or operator must abate that nuisance by securing the building and any shed or outbuilding against entry by people or animals; boarding up doors, windows and other openings requires prior written approval from the Director of the Building Inspection Division and must be done in a skilled manner, with trespassers, garbage, animals, and animal nests removed first.
Subsection (2)(b) layers on ongoing maintenance duties: utilities, plumbing, electrical and heating systems must be kept safe or deactivated/drained to prevent structural damage or hazards; at least one grade-level door must stay accessible with working locks and hinges for inspection; the Director must be given inspection access; and the owner must give the Director ten days' written notice before selling, transferring, taking possession of, or unboarding the property. Subsection (3) covers Damaged Buildings, where fire or other damage creates a hazardous condition that conventional locking or boarding can't secure, the owner must fence off the building and the surrounding area instead.
05(3)(d) and (e): the City can order and, if necessary, perform abatement, with costs collected from the owner or occupant and assessed against the real estate as a special charge when proper notice has been given.
Violations & Fines
The Director of Building Inspection administers and enforces this section; failure to comply with a lawful abatement order under Chapter 27 can trigger a $75 compliance-inspection fee for each follow-up inspection that doesn't achieve compliance, per MGO § 27.03. If the owner or occupant refuses or neglects to secure or fence off the building, the City may enter and abate the nuisance itself and recover its costs as a special charge added to the property's tax bill under Wis. Stat. § 66.0627, rather than through a separate civil collection action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an empty house automatically a violation in Madison?
Can I board up windows myself to secure a vacant building?
What if a fire damaged the building and it can't be boarded up normally?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison
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How other cities in Dane County handle property blight.