Roanoke, VA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Established under § 7-52 pursuant to Va. Code § 15.2-907.1, the program targets buildings the city defines as 'derelict': a residential or nonresidential structure that has been vacant, boarded up under the building code, and disconnected from required electric, water or sewer service for more than six continuous months in a way that might endanger public health, safety or welfare (§ 7-53). The codes compliance administrator, who administers the program and reports annually to city council by October 31 on how many properties were declared derelict (§ 7-54), delivers written notice by certified mail to the address on the city assessor's tax records whenever a derelict building is identified (§ 7-55(a)).

That notice starts a 90-day clock: under § 7-56(a), the owner must submit a plan to demolish or renovate the building to fix the hazards listed in the notice, on forms the administrator provides, including a proposed start and completion schedule. The administrator reviews and must approve the plan before it counts as compliant. An owner who fails to submit a plan, or who violates the terms or deadlines of an approved plan, is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense (§ 7-56(c)).

Owners who follow through get a financial incentive: completing an approved demolition plan within 90 days of the building permit issuing earns a refund of the building and demolition permit fees, and an approved renovation plan, where no rezoning is needed, caps building, site plan and subdivision fees at the lesser of 50 percent of the standard fee or $5,000 per property (§ 7-57). Beyond the misdemeanor penalty, § 7-58 lets the city make repairs and secure the building under Va. Code § 15.2-906, abate the property as a nuisance under § 15.2-900, or petition the circuit court to appoint the city as receiver to repair the structure under Va. Code § 15.2-907.2.