Hillsborough County, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Order authority
- Sec. 8-62, condemnation order scope
- Nuisance threshold
- Repair cost exceeds 50% of value
- Notice window
- 30 to 60 days to comply (Sec. 8-61)
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days after notice service
- Lien interest
- 6% per year, foreclosable after 2 years
- Enforcing officials
- Building Director / Housing Assistance Director
Summary
Under Sec. 8-62, the county's Building Director or Housing Assistance Director can order an owner to repair, restore, or demolish an unsafe building anywhere in unincorporated Hillsborough County. Sec. 8-59 defines an unsafe, nuisance building as one so damaged that repair costs exceed 50 percent of its post-repair value, and the county can demolish it and lien the property if the owner ignores the order.
Either the Director of Building or the Director of the Housing Assistance Department may order the vacation, demolition, or removal of any unsafe building or structure as herein defined, and may order the repair, restoration, or replacement of any part or parts of any building in Hillsborough County, Florida, outside any municipality when any such part or parts by reason of fire, age, decay, deterioration, structural defects, improper design, unstable foundation, termites, or other causes shall be dangerous to the occupants thereof or to surrounding buildings and the occupants thereof, a menace to public health, a fire hazard, or so unsafe as to endanger life or property or render the use of the public streets dangerous, and the cost of repairing, restoring, or replacing any such part or parts will not exceed 50 percent of the building or structure after such repair, restoration or replacement, and, in default of the owner or other parties in interest repairing, restoring, or replacing such part or parts of such building or structure within a reasonable time fixed in said order, to order the vacation of the premises until compliance with the order.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 8-59 declares a building or structure a nuisance when fire, age, decay, deterioration, structural defects, improper design, unstable foundations, termites, or other causes make it dangerous to occupants or neighbors, a menace to public health, a fire hazard, or unsafe enough to endanger life, property, or the public streets, and the cost to restore it exceeds 50 percent of its value after repair. Sec. 8-58 puts enforcement in the hands of the Building Director and the Director of the Housing Assistance Department. Once a violation is verified, Sec.
8-60 requires them to identify every owner, mortgagee, and interested party, and Sec. 8-61 requires a written notice describing the condition and setting a compliance window of not less than 30 and not more than 60 days. Sec. 8-62 then authorizes an order to vacate, demolish, or remove the unsafe building, or to repair, restore, or replace the offending parts, with vacation of the premises ordered if the owner defaults. If the owner still fails to comply, Sec. 8-66 lets the county vacate, demolish, or remove the structure itself, using county crews or the lowest responsible independent contractor.
Sec. 8-67 then lets the Board of County Commissioners assess the full cost against the property as a lien superior to every claim except taxes, bearing six percent annual interest and foreclosable in equity if unpaid two years after filing. An aggrieved owner has 15 days after service to file a notice of appeal under Sec. 8-68, which stays all proceedings and guarantees a Board of County Commissioners hearing within 60 days; Sec. 8-69 lets the Board quash, sustain, or modify the order after weighing the evidence.
Violations & Fines
Failure to comply within the deadline set in the condemnation order lets the county vacate, demolish, or remove the structure itself under Sec. 8-66, using county forces or the lowest and best independent contractor bid. The full cost is then assessed against the property under Sec. 8-67 as a lien superior to all claims but tax liens, accruing six percent annual interest and subject to foreclosure two years after the lien is filed if it remains unpaid. An owner who disputes the order must file a notice of appeal within 15 days of service under Sec. 8-68.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the county decide a building is 'unsafe' under Sec. 8-62?
What happens if I don't demolish or repair after a Sec. 8-62 order?
Can I appeal a condemnation order before the county acts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsborough County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Hillsborough County to another location·View the Florida property maintenance overview
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