Knoxville, TN Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage
- Occupied, unoccupied, improved, or unimproved lots
- Height limit
- 12 inches on average
- Extra zone
- Right-of-way strip to 10 feet beyond
- Citation
- Knoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-143(b)
- Cure period
- 10 days after written notice
Summary
Vacant and unimproved lots in Knoxville are held to the same 12-inch rule as occupied property: owners must keep weeds and grass from growing in rank profusion along the lot and the adjacent right-of-way strip.
It shall also be unlawful for any owner, occupant, lessee or anyone having supervision or control of any lot, tract, parcel of land or portion thereof, occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved, within the city to suffer or permit trees, vines, grass, weeds or any plant that is not cultivated to grow in rank profusion or otherwise in, along, upon or across the sidewalk or street adjacent to the premises in the area between the property line and the curb line, or within the area ten (10) feet beyond the property line, to a height greater than twelve (12) inches on an average. (Ord. No. O-451-00, § 1, 10-3-00; Ord. No. O-188-2010, § 2, 12-28-10)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Knoxville Code § 13-143(b) makes clear the weed ordinance reaches vacant ground: it's unlawful for any owner or person with control of a lot, 'occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved', to let weeds, grass, or uncultivated plants grow in rank profusion above 12 inches on average, including the strip between the property line and the curb or up to 10 feet beyond the property line. Enforcement follows the same § 13-145 notice-and-cure process as improved lots, with a 10-day deadline before the city can abate and lien the property.
Violations & Fines
Same as any lot-cleanliness violation: a written notice with a 10-day cure period, then city abatement billed as a property lien, plus a civil penalty up to $50 and up to $400 in costs (§ 13-147).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Knoxville's weed ordinance apply to an empty, unimproved lot?
Do vacant-lot owners have to maintain the strip near the street too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knoxville
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