Marietta, GA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 10-8-060 of the Marietta Code of Ordinances lets the city housing inspector declare a building or structure unsafe, defined broadly to include anything structurally unsafe, unstable, unsanitary, a fire hazard, or otherwise dangerous to life or property, plus vacant structures that pose a hazard or nuisance. The inspector must mail written notice to the record owner at the address on the city's ad valorem tax records, and to anyone else known to have a vested interest, describing the unsafe conditions, the code sections violated, and setting a municipal court hearing at least 15 days out.

The notice must also be posted conspicuously on the property. At the hearing, the owner may bring counsel, present evidence, and cross-examine witnesses. If the municipal court judge finds the building can be repaired within a reasonable time, the order specifies the required fixes and the deadline; miss it and the city demolishes the structure at the owner's expense. If the judge instead finds repair is not feasible, the order gives the owner just ten days to demolish and remove the structure before the city does it and bills the owner.

When conditions put life in imminent danger, the housing inspector can order immediate evacuation and temporarily close adjacent sidewalks or streets without waiting for the hearing process, under Subsection F.