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

Article 749, adopted by Ordinance 3-2023, requires the owner of any building or structure vacant for more than 180 consecutive days to register it with the Office of Code Enforcement on City-provided forms or its website. Registration costs a nonrefundable $300 every six months, paid until the property sells or transfers, and any change in ownership information must be reported within 10 days. 05(b): once a mortgage foreclosure action is filed, the lender must inspect the property, register it within 10 days as vacant or occupied, and pay its own $300 semiannual fee, re-inspecting occupied properties monthly.

06 sets maintenance standards for every registered property: yards must stay free of weeds, overgrown brush, dead vegetation, trash, junk, debris, building materials and discarded furniture or appliances, and any graffiti must be removed or painted over to match the exterior. Grass, ground covers, bushes and hedges must be watered, mowed and trimmed, and pools or spas kept free of pollutants. 07 requires the property be kept secure, meaning windows, doors and gates that could let a child inside must be closed, locked, and repaired if broken, with broken windows reglazed. 08 and can place a lien on the property to recover the cost of any corrective work it performs after notice.