Albany City Code §323-21 requires every owner or occupant of any house, building, vacant lot, parking lot, or gasoline service station to clear sidewalks in front of their property of snow and ice within 24 hours after a snowfall ends. Congealed ice must be strewn with ashes, sand, or similar material. Snow cannot be deposited into the roadway or onto crosswalks. If the city has to do the work, the cost (minimum $75) becomes a lien on the property tax bill.
Albany City Code §323-21 (Snow and ice removal from sidewalks and streets) imposes an affirmative duty on every property owner and occupant in the city to clear the public sidewalk in front of their property within 24 hours of the cessation of a snowfall. The duty applies whether the parcel is a single-family home, a multi-unit rental, a vacant lot, a parking lot, or a gasoline service station — owner-occupied status is not relevant.
The ordinance specifies two acceptable approaches. The first is physical removal: shoveling, snow-blowing, or otherwise lifting snow and ice off the sidewalk. The second, where ice is congealed and cannot reasonably be removed, is to "strew" the sidewalk with ashes, sand, salt, or similar abrasive material so it is no longer slippery. Property owners must "keep the sidewalk conveniently free" of snow and ice — meaning ongoing maintenance after subsequent snowfalls, not a one-time clearing.
The code expressly prohibits depositing the cleared snow into the roadway of any public street, onto any public sidewalk, or onto any crosswalk. Pushing snow into the street creates plowing problems and refreezing hazards, and is a separate violation. If the owner or occupant fails to comply, the Commissioner of the Department of General Services may cause the sidewalk to be cleaned. The cost of that work is charged to the property owner and added to the next tax bill as a lien against the property. The minimum charge per §323-21 is $75, even for small properties; actual costs for larger lots or repeated non-compliance can run substantially higher. The 24-hour rule is enforced more aggressively along commercial corridors (Lark Street, Central Avenue, Pearl Street, Madison Avenue) and ADA-protected school and bus-stop routes.
Failure to clear within 24 hours: city contractor cleans the walk and charges a minimum $75 (often $150–$400 for larger parcels), plus an administrative fee. Unpaid charges become a tax lien on the property. Depositing snow into the street or crosswalk is a separate violation. Repeat absentee-landlord violations can be cited under the city's nuisance abatement law and the Good Neighbor program. Slip-and-fall liability is a separate civil exposure: property owners who fail to clear can be sued by injured pedestrians under New York premises-liability principles.
Albany, NY
Albany Police remove abandoned vehicles under New York Vehicle & Traffic Law §1224 and the city's 72-hour street-parking rule. A vehicle is "abandoned" under...
Albany, NY
Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance (Chapter 375) restricts where boats, boat trailers, campers, travel trailers, and recreational vehicles ma...
Albany, NY
New York is one of a small group of states with a "spite fence" statute on the books. Under Real Property Actions & Proceedings Law (RPAPL) §843, any fence o...
Albany, NY
Albany requires a building permit before constructing a new fence or replacing an existing one. Under USDO §375-98 ("Location of Fences and Walls"), fences i...
Albany, NY
Albany has no breed-specific dog ban. New York Agriculture & Markets Law §107(5) expressly preempts breed-specific legislation: municipalities may run their ...
Albany, NY
Albany permits up to six hens (no roosters) at any residential dwelling with a hen license issued by the City Clerk under Chapter 115, Article VIII. The appl...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Albany County.
See how other cities in Albany County handle snow & sidewalk clearing.
See how Albany's snow & sidewalk clearing rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.