Portland, OR Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Portland City Code § 17.28.025
- Who's responsible
- Owners and occupants of abutting land
- Deadline
- None set: no time-limit exemption
- Liability
- Injury damages plus City's costs and fees
- Enforcement
- Civil liability, not a fine schedule
Summary
Portland property owners and occupants must clear snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their land at all times, with no grace period, and are liable for injuries or City costs from failure to do so.
A. The owners and occupants of land adjacent to any street in Portland are responsible for snow and ice removal from sidewalks abutting or immediately adjacent to such land, notwithstanding any time limitations.
B. Property owners and occupants are liable for any and all damages to any person who is injured or otherwise suffers damage resulting from failure to remove snow and/or ice accumulations.
C. Property owners and occupants are liable to the City for any amounts paid or incurred consequent from claims, judgment or settlement, and for all reasonable investigation costs and attorney fees, resulting from the responsible property owner’s or occupant’s failure to remove snow and ice accumulations from such sidewalks as imposed by this Code.
Full Breakdown
Portland City Code § 17.28.025 makes owners and occupants of land next to any street responsible for removing snow and ice from the sidewalk abutting or immediately adjacent to their property, and it applies notwithstanding any time limitations: the code sets no grace period before the duty attaches. A property owner or occupant who fails to clear snow and ice is personally liable for injuries the accumulation causes, and is liable to the City for any claims, judgments, settlements, investigation costs, and attorney fees the City incurs because the sidewalk wasn't cleared.
Violations & Fines
No set fine schedule: enforcement is civil liability. A property owner who leaves snow/ice on the sidewalk owes damages to anyone injured, plus the City's claims, judgments, settlement, investigation, and attorney-fee costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a deadline to clear snow from my Portland sidewalk?
Does Portland fine homeowners for not shoveling?
Who has to clear ice from a Portland sidewalk: the tenant or the landlord?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
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Snow & Sidewalk Clearing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Multnomah County handle snow & sidewalk clearing.