Stamford, CT Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Section 146-46 sits in Chapter 146, Article III, "Blighted Properties," re-enacted in 2015 and amended through 2022. A property counts as blighted under § 146-45 if at least one condition applies: it poses a serious or immediate danger as found by the Chief Building Official or Director of Health; it isn't adequately maintained, evidenced by things like missing or boarded windows, a collapsing roof or walls, or a structurally faulty foundation; it carries an uncorrected citation for a State statute, city Charter, Code or zoning violation; it has been the site of documented criminal activity; the Fire Marshal has flagged it as a fire hazard; it substantially interferes with neighbors' use and enjoyment of their own property; or it is seriously depreciating neighborhood property values through vandalism, damage or unauthorized outdoor storage of junk or inoperable vehicles.

Enforcement runs through the Anti-Blight Officer, a mayoral appointee, under § 146-47: after receiving a complaint or making an inspection, the Officer serves the owner a written Notice of Violation describing the condition and giving seven calendar days to remove, correct or abate it, or to request a resolution conference. If the owner misses that window, the Officer imposes a $100-per-day penalty beginning on the eighth day and issues a civil citation; the owner then has ten days to demand a hearing before the Blight Hearing Committee, made up of the Police, Fire, Zoning and Health Commission chairs (or designees) and the Board of Representatives president (or designee), none of whom can be a City employee who issues citations.

A hearing is set within fifteen to thirty days, and an unfavorable decision can be entered as a Superior Court judgment; unpaid fines become a lien on the property, collectible like a property-tax lien, including by foreclosure. An owner can also appeal a Committee assessment to Superior Court within thirty days.