Norfolk, VA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Chapter 27, Article VI of the Norfolk Code of Ordinances targets 'derelict buildings,' defined at § 27-71 as any residential or nonresidential structure that, for a continuous period exceeding six months, has been vacant, boarded up, and not lawfully connected to electric, water, or sewer service from a utility provider. The director of neighborhood preservation, or a designee, is vested under § 27-72 with authority to require abatement of a derelict building under this article and other applicable codes. Once the director identifies a qualifying property, § 27-73 requires certified-mail notice to the owner at the address on the real estate tax assessment records; if that address is the derelict building itself, the director may also post a copy of the notice on the structure.

That notice doubles as a notice of violation under Article I of Chapter 27 and starts a 90-calendar-day clock for the owner to submit a work plan committing to either demolish the building or renovate it so lawful occupancy becomes possible again. An owner who misses the 90-day deadline is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor, and for residential property also faces a $500 civil fine for every month the work plan remains unsubmitted, capped at the cost of demolishing the building and payable to the Norfolk City Treasury.

Section 27-74 lets an approved work plan cover one or more adjacent properties under the same owner and treats the plan as noncompliant until the director approves its schedule; missing the approved commencement or completion dates is likewise a class 2 misdemeanor under § 27-70's general violations clause, which makes each day of noncompliance a separate offense. As an incentive to comply, § 27-75 refunds demolition permit fees in full once demolition is proven, or 50 percent of building permit fees once renovation is proven, and § 27-76 allows a 14-year real estate tax abatement on the increased assessed value from renovation, unavailable to registered Virginia landmarks or contributing structures in a historic district. 2 of the Virginia Code, the USBC, and the Norfolk Charter.