Boulder, CO Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Section 6-3-3(a) of the Boulder Revised Code applies expressly to 'the owner of any vacant land or property,' along with occupants, managers, and business operators, and it bars all of them from letting trash, recyclables, or compostables accumulate where visible to the public on the property or the adjacent right-of-way, requires prompt removal of anything that does accumulate, and requires trash to be cleared often enough that it does not produce putrid odors. A separate requirement in Subsection (b) obligates every property owner, vacant or improved, to keep an active hauler contract sufficient to handle the property's regular trash volume.

If the city manager finds a violation, Section 6-3-8 lets the manager first request correction, then mail notice to the owner's address on file with the Boulder County Assessor specifying a correction deadline. If the owner still does not comply, the city may remove the trash itself and charge the owner the removal cost plus up to $100 in administrative costs; unpaid charges can be certified to the Boulder County Treasurer and collected the same way as delinquent property taxes. An affirmative defense under Section 6-3-7(b) protects an owner if the accumulation lasted twelve hours or less and the owner took affirmative steps to clear it as soon as they became aware of it. Civil penalties under Subsection (e) follow a set schedule and are imposed only after notice and a Chapter 1-3 quasi-judicial hearing.