Brookhaven, NY Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Property Maintenance Code § 49-2E
- Standard
- Clean, free of physical hazards
- Open wells/cesspools
- Must be securely closed or barricaded
- First-offense fine
- $500 to $2,000 (§ 49-7A)
- Repeat-offense fine
- $1,000 to $3,000, up to 6 months jail
Summary
Brookhaven's Property Maintenance chapter requires yards, courts, play areas and vacant lots to be kept clean and hazard-free, with open wells, cesspools and cisterns securely closed, and sets fines up to $3,000 plus jail time for violations.
Yards, courts, play areas and vacant lots shall be kept clean and free of physical hazards. They shall be maintained in a manner that will prevent rubbish from being blown about the neighborhood. Open wells, cesspools or cisterns shall be securely closed or barricaded to prevent access by the public.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4966897; v79 updated 2026-05-28; through 05-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The chapter, adopted June 16, 1987 and amended in its entirety November 13, 2014, separately requires vacated buildings and their adjoining yards to be kept safe and secure (§ 49-2F), and requires all landscaping generally to be kept trimmed and free from becoming overgrown (§ 49-2C). Chapter 45's littering provisions reinforce this on unoccupied or vacant property specifically: § 45-4E puts the duty to cut, trim or remove brush, grass or weeds and eliminate fire and health hazards on the owner, occupant or person in control, and lets the Town serve a notice giving at least 10 days to comply before the Town itself enters, does the work, and assesses the cost plus a $500 administrative fee as a lien against the property.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 49-2 is punishable under § 49-7A by a fine of $500 to $2,000 or up to 15 days imprisonment on a first conviction, and $1,000 to $3,000 or 15 days to six months on a second or subsequent conviction, prosecuted as a misdemeanor; each week of continued violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Brookhaven regulate the condition of vacant lots?
What happens to an open well or cesspool on a vacant lot?
What is the fine for an unmaintained vacant lot in Brookhaven?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brookhaven
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Suffolk County handle vacant lot maintenance.