Delaware County has no countywide vacant-lot ordinance. Each of the 49 municipalities requires owners to keep empty lots clear of weeds, debris and dumping under its property-maintenance code, and may bill the owner if the town has to abate the nuisance.
Vacant and unimproved lots in Delaware County, PA are regulated at the municipal level. Under the Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. §10101 et seq.) and each town's property-maintenance and nuisance chapters, lot owners must control tall grass and weeds, remove accumulated trash, and prevent conditions that harbor rodents. Boroughs and townships can send a notice to abate; if the owner does not comply, the municipality may cut, clean and lien the cost against the property. Upper Darby's Code Enforcement Division routinely cites high grass, weeds, trash and illegal dumping on parcels. Contact your municipal code office for the exact standard and any registration duty for vacant properties.
Owners receive a written abatement notice; failure to comply lets the municipality perform the work and place the cost as a municipal lien on the property, plus fines under the local nuisance or property-maintenance code.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard composting is legal across Delaware County and encouraged by the county's Act 101 recycling program. There is no county compost permit, but municipa...
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Delaware County sets no rule on artificial turf. Whether synthetic grass is allowed, and any impervious-coverage or stormwater conditions, is decided by your...
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Delaware County has no rule against native-plant or meadow landscaping. Native gardens are encouraged for stormwater and pollinator benefits, but you must st...
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Rainwater harvesting is legal in Pennsylvania and Delaware County has no ban. The county and its municipalities generally encourage rain barrels and cisterns...
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Delaware County publishes no lawn-watering schedule. Mandatory outdoor-water restrictions in Pennsylvania take effect only when the Governor declares a droug...
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There is no Delaware County weed ordinance. Each municipality bans noxious weeds and overgrown vegetation through its own property-maintenance code. Lower Ch...
See how Delaware County's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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