Gulfport, MS Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Grace period before violation
- 24 hours
- Zoning districts covered
- R-1, R-2, R-O, R-B, B-1, B-2, B-3
- General penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 90 days jail
- Nonresident owner duty
- Must appoint resident agent
- Governing section
- Gulfport Code § 4-145
Summary
In Gulfport's R-1, R-2, R-O, R-B, B-1, B-2 and B-3 zoning districts, owners and occupants cannot let junked cars, junk appliances, or stacks of barrels, boxes, paper or rubbish sit on a vacant part of a lot for more than 24 hours.
It shall be unlawful for the owner, occupant or any other person, to place or store, or permit to be placed or stored, on any vacant part of a lot, or parcel of land situated within R-1, R-2, R-0, R-B, B-1, B-2 and B-3 districts of the city any junked automobile, automobile parts, junk refrigerators, stoves, or any stack or quantity of barrels, boxes, paper, trash or rubbish, and to permit the same to so remain for over a period of twenty-four (24) hours.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
Section 4-145, Unsightly accumulations on vacant lots, targets the vacant, unimproved portion of a lot rather than the whole property: it is unlawful for the owner, occupant, or anyone else to place, store or permit to be placed or stored on any vacant part of a lot or parcel a junked automobile, automobile parts, junk refrigerators, stoves, or any stack or quantity of barrels, boxes, paper, trash or rubbish, and then let it remain there past 24 hours. The rule is expressly geographic: it applies within the city's R-1, R-2, R-O, R-B, B-1, B-2 and B-3 zoning districts, tying the nuisance rule directly to the zoning map rather than applying citywide.
Section 4-144 backs this with a broader offensive-accumulation ban covering any noisome or offensive liquid or substance kept in a dwelling, shop, store, factory, outhouse, cellar, yard or lot that is prejudicial to health or offensive enough to be a neighborhood nuisance. Nonresident vacant-lot owners face an added duty under Section 4-143(e)(4): they must appoint a resident agent responsible for keeping the lot free of litter, so an out-of-town owner cannot simply ignore notices. State law backs the city's junkyard authority, since Miss. governs disposal of abandoned motor vehicles, both referenced in the Code as related state authority.
Violations & Fines
Violation of Section 4-145 is not assigned its own penalty clause, so it is punished under the Code's general penalty, Section 1-9: a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 90 days, or both, with every day the accumulation continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can junk sit on a vacant lot in Gulfport?
Does the vacant lot rule apply everywhere in Gulfport?
What happens if I own a vacant lot in Gulfport but live elsewhere?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
Compare Gulfport to another location·View the Mississippi property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.