St. Petersburg, FL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger conditions
- inadequate maintenance, decay, fire, structural defect, termites
- City may order
- vacate, secure, demolish or remove
- Rodent condition before demolition
- licensed pest operator extermination required
- Appeal
- $35 fee, written request within 10 days
- Unpaid cost lien interest
- 8% year one, 12% thereafter
- Governing section
- City Code § 8-265
Summary
St. Petersburg can order an unfit or unsafe structure repaired, secured, demolished or removed. City Code § 8-265(a) authorizes the POD to order that action when inadequate maintenance, fire, decay, structural defects or similar conditions leave a structure dangerous, a public-health menace, or a fire hazard.
(a)If the conditions identified in the notice are not remedied within the time set forth in the notice, the POD shall order the vacation, demolition, removal or securing of any unfit or unsafe structure when any such part, by reason of inadequate maintenance, fire, age, decay, deterioration, structural defects, improper design, unstable foundation, termites, affording the opportunity of being a nuisance to the public or a haven for vagrants or criminals, acts of God or other causes, shall be dangerous to the occupants thereof or to surrounding buildings and the occupants thereof, a menace to public health, a fire hazard or so unsafe as to endanger life or property or render the use of the public streets dangerous. Notice of the order shall be provided as set forth in section 8-267.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
" Subsection (b) sets the securing standard when demolition isn't ordered: open windows and doors must be sealed with exterior plywood painted to blend with the building, and any manmade body of water on the property must be secured against drowning or filled with clean fill and drained. Subsection (c) adds a rodent-control condition specific to demolition: if the county health officer finds rodent infestation in a structure slated for demolition, the POD must require the owner to hire a licensed structural pest control operator for "effective rodent extermination methods," including ectoparasite control, before the building comes down.
Owners get an appeal right under § 8-271 -- a $35 filing fee and a written request to the City Clerk within ten days of the second notice -- before a hearing officer, and emergency cases under § 8-274 let the POD act immediately when there's imminent danger.
Violations & Fines
Failing to repair, secure or demolish a structure the POD has declared unfit or unsafe under § 8-265 lets the City vacate the property and do the work itself under § 8-269, then assess every cost -- demolition, rodent extermination, administrative fees and attorney's fees -- as a lien on the property superior to all but tax liens under § 8-270, accruing 8% to 12% annual interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can St. Petersburg force demolition of a rundown house?
What happens to the demolition and cleanup costs?
Can I appeal an order to demolish my building?
Does the City check for rodents before demolishing a building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Petersburg to another location·View the Florida property maintenance overview
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Property Blight in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle property blight.