Auburn, WA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

100 creates Auburn's vacant property registration program. 22 ACC or inhabited part-time by the owner. Subsection (B) then imposes a maintenance checklist that runs well past mowing: the structure must stay free of code violations, with doors and windows in place, locked and repaired; the roof, flashing, gutters and downspouts functional; exterior lighting operating on a timer for nighttime illumination; water service disconnected; and gas, electrical and plumbing fixtures kept safe. Vegetation must be maintained consistent with the rest of the Auburn city code, and shrubs, ground covers, vines and trees must be trimmed clear of the public right-of-way and neighboring lots.

Tarps cannot be used to secure or screen a damaged, degraded or moss-covered roof, door, window or wall except as a short-term measure before permanent repair, and the exterior must otherwise meet Section 304 of the International Property Maintenance Code. Owners must also post a visible notice naming who the property is registered to with contact information, and register the property separately with the Auburn police department's trespass program. Subsection (C) applies the requirements retroactively to properties already vacant when the section was adopted, though those existing structures are not vested against later amendments.