Buncombe County, NC Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Sec. " A vacant lot is defined in Sec. 62-26 as land "free from activity work, or occupancy, business, industry, or other commercial enterprise or residential use," and the definition specifically pulls in "uncultivated portions of farmland and unused areas of pastureland," so idle acreage counts even if it is technically zoned agricultural. Enforcement runs through Sec. 62-33(b): after a complaint, the director of solid waste investigates and first attempts an informal resolution; if that fails, the director mails the property owner a notice of violation stating the problem and giving 15 days to fix it.

00 civil penalty (or the amount set in the county's current fee schedule), with each additional day of noncompliance counted as a separate violation. Under Sec. 62-33(c), if the director determines the accumulation is a threat to public health and safety and the owner still has not acted, the solid waste department can send crews to correct the violation itself and bill the owner for the cost of remediation. A distinct but related rule applies only to vacant lots along major roads: Sec. 78-666 of the zoning code separately requires that vegetation on vacant lots and open spaces adjacent to major thoroughfares be neatly trimmed and free of unsightly debris accumulation, enforced by the zoning administrator rather than the solid waste department.