Portsmouth, VA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 17-1, Dangerous buildings
- Notice required
- Certified mail plus newspaper publication
- Waiting period
- 30 days minimum before city can act
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, fine up to $2,500.00
- Cost recovery
- Demolition cost becomes a real estate tax lien
- Derelict building option
- Sec. 17-2: 90-day plan for demolition or renovation
Summary
Portsmouth code officials can order an owner to repair, demolish, or remove any structure so unsafe, unsanitary, or dilapidated that it endangers human life, and the law expressly labels that neglect a nuisance. Owners who ignore a written abatement notice face city-ordered demolition billed back as a real estate tax lien, plus a misdemeanor charge.
(a)It shall be unlawful and shall constitute a nuisance for the owner or occupant of any land or lot in the city to permit any structure, house or dwelling place thereon to be habitually kept or maintained in such a manner as to be unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise dangerous to human life, or which, in relation to existing use, constitutes a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence or abandonment.(b)Whenever the code official shall find any structure, house or dwelling place or portion thereof to be unsafe as defined in subsection (a) of this section, he shall give the owner, agent for the owner or person in control of such building or structure, and lienholder in control of such building or structure, written notice. ... No action shall be taken by the code official for at least 30 days following the later of the return of the receipt or newspaper publication. ... such failure shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $2,500.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 17-1(a) of the City Code declares it a nuisance for an owner or occupant to habitually keep a structure, house, or dwelling on their land unsafe, unsanitary, or dangerous to human life, or hazardous because of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence, or abandonment. When the code official finds a building unsafe under that standard, subsection (b) requires written notice to the owner, agent, or person in control, and to any lienholder, giving them a stated time to complete repairs or demolish and remove the structure.
2-1427; the code official cannot act for at least 30 days after the later of the mail receipt or the publication. If the owner fails, refuses, or neglects to comply, subsection (c) lets the code official demolish and remove the structure directly, then bill the cost, plus an administrative fee set in Appendix A, to the city treasurer, who adds it to the property's real estate taxes and dockets it as a lien with the same priority as unpaid local tax liens. 00, and if the violation is still uncorrected at conviction, the court orders the violator to abate it, generally within six months. Sec. 00 per property.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a Sec. 17-1(b) abatement notice is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $2,500.00 under Sec. 17-1(d), and a court can still order the violation abated within six months of conviction. If the owner never complies, the code official may demolish the structure directly and add the cost, plus an administrative fee, to the property's real estate tax bill as a lien under Sec. 17-1(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building 'dangerous' under Portsmouth's code?
What happens if I don't fix a dangerous building after notice?
Can I avoid demolition by renovating instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portsmouth
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