Waterloo, IA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Who enforces
- City building official
- Compliance window
- 7 days after boarding-up order
- City self-help
- board up, barricade, fence, abate
- Cost recovery
- assessed against the property
- Adopted by
- Ordinance 5369, 9-26-2016
Summary
Waterloo, Iowa's building official can inspect, order boarded up, and abate unsafe, vacant or abandoned buildings under section 9-1-4 of the city code, on top of authority already granted by IBC section 116. Owners get seven days to secure a building before the city acts and bills them for it.
In addition to the authority granted by the provisions of section 116 of the IBC, the building official is hereby authorized to exercise emergency measures to protect the health, safety and public welfare of the community by certain procedures as follows: ... ... D. Order the prompt boarding up of the windows, doors and other openings of unsafe or vacant buildings to prevent unauthorized access or the perpetuation of an attractive nuisance during the time which is necessary to gain compliance with the IBC. E. Upon the failure of the owner or owner's agent to comply with the order, to close, board up and secure an unsafe building within seven (7) days' time after receiving such order, the building official, after notice and opportunity for hearing, may cause the openings boarded up and secured, or the premises barricaded and fenced, and the unsafe conditions abated, with the cost of such construction, barricading, fencing and abatement to be assessed against the property.
Full Breakdown
Section 9-1-4, Unsafe, Vacant and Abandoned Buildings, gives Waterloo's building official emergency powers beyond section 116 of the adopted IBC. The official first inspects the building and surrounding premises to determine the extent of dilapidation, damage, obsolescence, fire hazard and risk as an attractive nuisance, then informs the owner or the owner's agent of the unsafe or hazardous conditions and of the applicable IBC section 116 provisions, demanding a commitment on a time schedule and manner of compliance. The official can order the prompt boarding up of windows, doors and other openings on unsafe or vacant buildings to stop unauthorized access or an attractive nuisance while compliance is pending.
If the owner or agent fails to close, board up and secure an unsafe building within seven days of that order, the building official, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, may have the openings boarded, or the premises barricaded and fenced, and the unsafe conditions abated directly, assessing the cost of that construction, barricading, fencing and abatement against the property. The section was adopted by Ordinance 5369 on September 26, 2016, and works alongside section 9-1-3, which makes the building code control over conflicting provisions elsewhere in the code.
Violations & Fines
Failure to comply with a boarding-up or abatement order under section 9-1-4 lets the city perform the work itself after the seven-day window and a hearing, then assess the full cost of construction, barricading, fencing and abatement against the property. Underlying unsafe-building conditions remain enforceable under IBC section 116 and as municipal infractions under section 1-3-2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can Waterloo do about an abandoned building next door?
How long does an owner get before the city acts?
Who pays if the city boards up or abates the property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waterloo
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