Miami Beach, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 58-299 makes every owner of a vacant building, structure or lot responsible for keeping it clean and sanitary, free of excessive weed and grass growth, graded to prevent stagnant water, free of rodents, insects and vermin, and free of animals kept in a way that creates unsanitary conditions. Vacant buildings must have their roofs well-drained, exteriors properly painted or protected, and unauthorized signs and graffiti removed. Ground-floor entrances and openings must be secured and sealed with concrete block or comparable durable material, other openings secured with wood or similar material, or the building secured under an approved total building security plan, with all securing materials painted to match the exterior walls.

Section 58-300 separately declares a vacant property a public nuisance when excessive weeds, garbage or debris within 200 feet of an improved property line attracts rodents, vermin or mosquitoes or threatens public health. If a property is cited for that nuisance, or for the Section 58-299(j) securing requirements, twice by the special magistrate within 18 months, or has been cleared by the city three times in 18 months, the owner must enclose it with a five-foot wall or black or green vinyl-coated fence within 45 days of a certified-mail notice, or within 30 days if the requirement is upheld on appeal to the special magistrate under Section 58-233. If the owner doesn't comply, the city builds the fence at the owner's expense.