Ridgewood, NJ Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing officer
- Director of Buildings and Inspections
- Unfit findings include
- Unsafe, unsanitary, vermin- or rat-infested
- Remedy
- Condemnation, placarding, vacating the structure
- Appeal deadline
- 20 days to the Village Manager
- Adopted
- June 24, 1986, Ord. No. 2046
- Chapter
- 223, Existing Structures Code
Summary
Village of Ridgewood Code § 223-31 lets the Code Official condemn any structure found unsafe, unsanitary, vermin-infested or otherwise unfit for human occupancy, and § 223-28 authorizes placarding and vacating the property until the hazard is corrected.
§ 223-28. Condemnation. When a structure or part thereof is found by the Code Official to be unsafe or when a structure or part thereof is found unfit for human occupancy or use or is found unlawful, it may be condemned pursuant to the provisions of this code and may be placarded and vacated. It shall not be reoccupied without approval of the Code Official. ... § 223-31. Structures unfit for human occupancy. A structure is unfit for human occupancy or use whenever the Code Official finds that it is unsafe or is in disrepair, is unsanitary, is vermin- or rat-infested, contains filth and contamination or lacks ventilation, illumination, sanitary or heating facilities or other essential equipment required by this code or because its location constitutes a hazard to its occupants or to the public.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4854397; v35 updated 2026-04-22; through 04-22-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 223, the Existing Structures Code of the Village of Ridgewood, adopted June 24, 1986 by Ordinance No. 2046, gives the Code Official, the Director of Buildings and Inspections or Code Enforcement Officer under § 223-18, authority to act against blighted and dangerous buildings anywhere in the Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County. Section 223-29 defines an unsafe structure as one dangerous to life, health, property or public safety because it lacks fire-safety safeguards or is "so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe" that it risks partial or complete collapse.
Section 223-31 separately defines a structure "unfit for human occupancy" as one the Code Official finds unsafe, in disrepair, unsanitary, vermin- or rat-infested, contaminated with filth, or lacking required ventilation, illumination, sanitary or heating facilities. Once either finding is made, § 223-28 lets the Code Official condemn the structure, placard it and order it vacated; it cannot be reoccupied without the Code Official's approval. " If the owner refuses to close it, the Village can do so through a contractor and place the cost as a lien on the property.
Owners who transfer a property under an active compliance order must give the buyer a copy of the order and file the buyer's signed acceptance of responsibility with the Code Official (§ 223-38).
Violations & Fines
Occupying or letting anyone occupy a placarded, condemned structure, or defacing or removing a condemnation placard without approval, makes the owner or occupant liable for Chapter 223's penalties (§§ 223-40, 223-41). Because the chapter sets no separate fine schedule for these offenses, they fall under the Village's general penalty, Code § 1-15: up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail or 90 days of community service, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Owners may appeal any notice to the Village Manager within 20 days (§ 223-45).
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Ridgewood structure legally 'unfit for human occupancy'?
Can an owner appeal a condemnation notice?
What happens if the owner won't fix or close up a condemned building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgewood
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