Lakewood, WA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LMC 8.16.030
- Applies to
- Vacant lots/buildings near occupied dwellings
- Must be free of
- Uncut grass, weeds, vines, bushes, debris
- Enforcement
- City Manager order, then abatement (LMC 8.16.050)
- Interest on City costs
- 12 percent per annum
Summary
Lakewood, Washington requires owners of a vacant lot or building near an occupied home to keep the premises free of uncut grass, weeds, blackberry vines, bushes and debris under LMC 8.16.030, specifically to prevent rodent, insect or pest infestation and fire hazard. The City can order cleanup and, if ignored, abate the lot itself and bill the owner.
Every owner of a vacant lot or building located in close proximity to another occupied dwelling unit shall keep the premises reasonably neat and clean and free of uncut grass, weeds, blackberry vines, bushes and debris, so as to prevent rodent, insect or other pest infestation, and so as to prevent a fire hazard.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 852, passed June 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010, which separately declares junkyards, filthy premises, and blackberry vines or grass over two feet in height to be nuisances wherever they occur, vacant or not. 050: the City Manager or a designee can order the owner, in writing or verbally, to correct the condition within a set time. If the owner does not comply, the City may abate the nuisance itself and recover the cost from the owner, plus interest accruing at 12 percent per year, and the City Manager can record a lien against the property for the unpaid amount.
Orders are served personally, by registered mail to the owner or last known occupant, or by posting on the property if the owner cannot be found; if the owner's whereabouts genuinely cannot be determined, the City publishes notice twice in the official City newspaper before proceeding.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement of LMC 8.16.030 runs through the general nuisance abatement process in LMC 8.16.050 rather than a fixed fine schedule: after notice and an opportunity to correct, an uncooperative owner can have the City abate the lot directly and recover its costs, plus 12 percent annual interest, as a debt and a lien against the property, in addition to any misdemeanor or infraction prosecution available under other City codes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lakewood's weed rule apply to lots with no house on them?
What happens if the owner of a vacant lot can't be found?
Can Lakewood clean up a vacant lot and bill the owner?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle vacant lot maintenance.