St. Louis, MO Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Division of Building and Inspection
- Trigger
- Unsafe, unsanitary, or dangerous condition
- Owner remedy
- Repair, secure, or demolish structure
- Cost recovery
- Special tax bill and lien
- Emergency power
- Immediate evacuation or demolition, no notice
Summary
St. Louis's Property Maintenance Code lets the Building Commissioner condemn any building, structure, or piece of equipment found unsafe, unsanitary, or dangerous to life, and order it repaired, secured, or demolished at the owner's expense.
Buildings, structures, or equipment that are or hereafter become unsafe, unsanitary, or deficient because of inadequate means of egress, facilities, inadequate light and ventilation, or a fire hazard; are otherwise dangerous to human life or the public welfare; or which involve illegal or improper occupancy or inadequate maintenance shall be deemed in unsafe condition. Unsafe buildings or structures shall be taken down and removed or made safe as the building official deems necessary.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
The City has adopted the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code, as locally amended, under Chapter 25.32 of the Revised Code. Section 108 authorizes the Building Commissioner to declare a building, structure, or equipment 'unsafe' whenever it is unsanitary, deficient, dangerous to human life, or illegally occupied -- including any vacant structure left unsecured -- and to order it repaired, secured, or demolished. If the owner fails to comply, the City can perform the work itself and bill the owner, with unpaid costs certified as a special tax bill and lien on the property. Where a building poses an imminent danger, the Commissioner may skip standard notice and order immediate evacuation, utility disconnection, or emergency demolition.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance lets the City repair, board up, or demolish the structure and bill the owner as a property lien; occupying a placarded/condemned building is a separate violation, enforced by police removal on the Commissioner's order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can St. Louis demolish my building without a hearing first?
Who pays if the City fixes or tears down an unsafe building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
Compare St. Louis to another location·View the Missouri property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.