Bethlehem, PA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Bethlehem addresses vacant lots and structures through three overlapping mechanisms. First, the Article 1732 registry: under §1732.05(a) any mortgagee who holds a mortgage on real property located within the City of Bethlehem shall perform an inspection of the property to determine vacancy or occupancy upon default by the mortgagor, and shall within ten (10) days of the inspection register the property with the Bureau of Housing on forms or website access provided by the City. A separate registration is required for each property whether vacant or occupied. If occupied but still in default, monthly re-inspection is required until the default is cured or the property is found vacant (§1732.05(b)). Registration must include the mortgagee's contact information, the servicer, the PIN/tax number, and the name and 24-hour contact phone of the property management company responsible for security and maintenance (§1732.05(c)). The fee is $200 non-refundable per property per year (§1732.99(a)). Second, vegetation: the 2018 IPMC §302.4 as adopted at Article 1733 §1733.02 requires that all premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth in excess of 12 inches - noxious weeds are prohibited, and 'weeds' is defined as all grasses, annual plants and vegetation other than trees, shrubs, cultivated flowers, and gardens. Third, security: §1732.07 requires vacant property to be maintained in a secure manner not accessible to unauthorized persons, with broken windows re-glazed and a property manager designated by the mortgagee to perform regular inspections. Under §1732.08 all abandoned real property is declared a public nuisance per se.