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Cambridge, MA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
Cambridge Code § 8.24.040(B)(2)
Duty holder
Owner or occupant of the property
Applies to
Yard areas and vacant lots alike
Max fine
$300 per day, criminal or noncriminal
Enforcing agency
Commissioner of Public Works
Absentee-owner posting
Contact info required, 3+ unit buildings

Summary

Cambridge Code § 8.24.040(B)(2) requires every owner or occupant of private property to cut and dispose of weeds in any yard area or vacant lot, or around adjoining public or private property. The Commissioner of Public Works enforces the duty citywide, with fines up to $300 per day for noncompliance.

2.Every owner or occupant of private property shall cut and dispose of weeds in any yard area or vacant lot, or around any public or private property.

Source: Cambridge ISDView official code

Full Breakdown

24 of the Cambridge Code, the Refuse and Litter chapter adopted by Ord. 1152 in 1993 and amended by Ord. 1310 in 2007, makes weed control on vacant land part of the same duty that keeps sidewalks and gutters clear of litter. 040(B), titled 'Maintenance of Sidewalks,' actually reaches beyond sidewalks: subsection (2) states that every owner or occupant of private property shall cut and dispose of weeds in any yard area or vacant lot, or around any public or private property. 030(A)(2) and (4), which make an owner who does not live on the property, and any managing agent, jointly and severally responsible for maintaining the entire premises including the yard area and the adjoining sidewalk and gutter.

030(A)(5). The chapter does not set a numeric height trigger for when weeds become a violation; the standard is simply whether weeds are present and left undisposed of. 270.

Violations & Fines

A vacant lot or yard left choked with uncut weeds exposes the owner to a criminal fine of up to $300 under § 8.24.260(A), with each day of the violation counted as a separate offense, or a noncriminal citation of up to $300 per day issued under G.L. c. 40, § 21D by the Commissioner of Public Works, the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, or their designated enforcement officers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the weed-cutting rule apply to lots with no building on them?
Yes. Cambridge Code § 8.24.040(B)(2) applies to 'any yard area or vacant lot,' so an empty, unimproved parcel is covered the same as the yard behind an occupied house; whoever owns or occupies the property must cut and dispose of the weeds.
Is there a specific height that triggers a violation?
No. The Cambridge ordinance does not set an inch or foot threshold. The duty under § 8.24.040(B)(2) is to cut and dispose of weeds, so enforcement turns on whether weeds are present and left unmanaged, not on a measured height.
Who enforces vacant lot weed complaints in Cambridge?
The Commissioner of Public Works is the primary enforcing officer for Chapter 8.24, with the Commissioner of Inspectional Services and their designees also authorized under § 8.24.260(B) to issue noncriminal citations for uncut weeds and other refuse-and-litter violations.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Cambridge

Fence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsSnow & Sidewalk ClearingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: BeekeepingSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSignificant RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Pet Store RulesHeavy Restrictions

All Cambridge rules

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