Oyster Bay, NY Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Section 205-2 of the Town Code requires every owner, occupant, or person in charge of a house, building, vacant lot, church, or public building to keep the abutting sidewalk free from obstruction by snow, ice, and icy conditions. The section sets a specific clock for that duty: snow and ice must be removed within six hours after snow has ceased to fall. m. The same subsection folds snow clearance into the property owner's broader duty to keep the sidewalk in good and safe repair and free of dirt and debris, meaning a failure to clear ice can expose the owner to liability under § 205-2(B) for any resulting injury, in addition to Town enforcement.

Chapter 205 doesn't carve out a separate penalty schedule for snow violations; instead, § 205-30 applies the chapter's general penalty to any violation, including an uncleared sidewalk past the six-hour window. Because the duty runs to whoever occupies or controls the property, tenants as well as owners can be held responsible for clearing snow at a rental property in the unincorporated parts of the Town.