Volusia County, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcement board
- Contractor Licensing & Construction Appeals Board
- Repair/demolish deadline
- 30 days (5 days if imminent danger)
- Lien interest rate
- 12% per annum
- Appeal window
- 10 working days to county council
- Scope
- Unincorporated Volusia County only
Summary
Volusia County declares any unsafe, dilapidated or imminently dangerous building a nuisance and bars owners from letting one stand in unincorporated areas. The building official can order repair or demolition, and the Contractor Licensing and Construction Appeals Board can condemn noncompliant structures.
(b)All buildings or structures of any kind, including all electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems which are unsafe, unsanitary, constitute a fire hazard, or are dangerous to human life or a hazard to safety or health, shall be abated by repair and rehabilitation or by demolition, in accordance with the provisions herein... (c)A building or structure that is unsafe, dilapidated or in imminent danger constitutes a nuisance. No person shall allow an unsafe or dilapidated building or structure, or a building or structure in imminent danger, to exist on property under his or her ownership or control.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 108 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 58-83 finds that unsafe, dilapidated or fire-hazard buildings blight neighborhoods, curtail investment and impair property values, and requires abatement by repair or demolition. Sec. 58-84 lists the disqualifying conditions -- sagging or overloaded structural members, fire or storm damage, unsecured vacant buildings inviting trespassers, hazardous wiring, or unsanitary waste systems -- and Sec. 58-84(c) makes it unlawful for an owner to allow such a condition to exist. Under Sec. 58-85, the building official mails or posts a notice giving the owner 30 days (five days for imminent-danger cases) to pull a repair permit or demolish; if the deadline passes, Sec.
58-86 sends the case to the Contractor Licensing and Construction Appeals Board (CLCA) for a condemnation hearing where sworn testimony is taken. If the CLCA orders repair or removal and the owner still does nothing, Sec. 58-86(d) lets the building official vacate, fence, secure or demolish the structure directly. This article, adopted by Ord. No. 00-20 and amended through Ord. No. 2015-15, applies only to the unincorporated county per Sec. 58-81 -- Daytona Beach, Deltona, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and DeLand enforce their own unsafe-building codes.
Violations & Fines
Owners who ignore a condemnation order face county-performed demolition or repair, with all costs charged back and recorded as a lien against the property under Sec. 58-91 -- interest accrues at 12 percent per year starting 30 days after filing. Appeals go to the county council within ten working days of the CLCA's decision, and a lien may later be reduced under Sec. 58-94 if the property is debt-free and under new ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides if a building is unsafe in unincorporated Volusia County?
What happens if I don't fix a condemned building?
Does this apply inside Daytona Beach or Deltona?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Volusia County
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