Okaloosa County, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- Administrative Construction Code, § 6-133
- Abatement standard
- Int'l Property Maintenance Code, 2006 ed.
- Deciding official
- County building official, Growth Management
- Appeal deadline
- 30 calendar days to Construction Board
- Penalty
- Second-degree misdemeanor, per-day violation
Summary
Buildings and structures in unincorporated Okaloosa County that are unsafe, unsanitary, lack adequate egress, or are otherwise dangerous to human life are declared illegal under the county's Administrative Construction Code and must be abated through repair, rehabilitation, or demolition under the International Property Maintenance Code, 2006 edition, as locally amended.
[A] 104.5 Unsafe buildings or systems. All buildings, structures, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems which are unsafe, unsanitary, or do not provide adequate egress, or which constitute a fire hazard, or are otherwise dangerous to human life, or which in relation to existing use, constitute a hazard to safety or health, are considered unsafe buildings or service systems. All such unsafe buildings, structures or service systems are hereby declared illegal and shall be abated by repair and rehabilitation or by demolition in accordance with the International Property Maintenance Code 2006 edition, promulgated by the International Code Council, Inc., subject to all amendments, modifications or deletions hereinafter contained. ... SECTION 116 UNSAFE STRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT Unsafe Buildings shall be abated according to the provisions of the International Property Maintenance Code 2006 edition, promulgated by the International Code Council, Inc., subject to all amendments, modifications or deletions hereinafter contained.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
5 of that code defines an unsafe building or service system as any building, structure, or electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system that is unsafe, unsanitary, does not provide adequate egress, constitutes a fire hazard, is otherwise dangerous to human life, or, in relation to its existing use, is a hazard to safety or health. 5 declares it illegal outright and requires the county to abate it by repair and rehabilitation or by demolition in accordance with the International Property Maintenance Code, 2006 edition. Section 116, titled "Unsafe Structures and Equipment," repeats that same abatement standard for the whole administrative code.
3, and from there to the circuit court. 1 authorizes an immediate stop-work order, and no advance written notice is required where there is an immediate threat to life, health, or safety. This unsafe-structures process is separate from the county's litter and junkyard-condition nuisance rules in chapter 11, which address accumulated debris rather than a structurally dangerous building itself.
Violations & Fines
A person who erects, alters, repairs, or fails to correct a structure in violation of the Administrative Construction Code, or who continues work after a stop-work order, is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree under section 114.1, with each day of continuing violation treated as a separate offense. The building official can also require demolition or repair of the structure itself under section 104.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building "unsafe" under Okaloosa County's code?
Who decides that a property is a dangerous building in unincorporated Okaloosa County?
Can I appeal an unsafe-building order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Okaloosa County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Okaloosa County to another location·View the Florida property maintenance overview
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