Washoe County, NV Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

308(3) singles out two conditions that turn a vacant or partly developed lot into a public nuisance under the Nuisance Code: a structure that has been partially built but has made no substantial progress toward completion for six months or more, and a structure that has been partially destroyed or demolished, by fire or otherwise, and left in that condition for six months or more. Both situations are common on vacant parcels where construction stalled or a prior building burned or was torn down without a finished rebuild.

The six-month clock runs regardless of the reason for the delay, whether it is a financing gap, a contractor dispute, or a permit problem; the code does not require intent, only the passage of time without substantial progress. 308, subsections 5 and 6, which cover overgrown vegetation or accumulated debris that could endanger a street or utility line or attract rodents. Enforcement runs through Chapter 125's non-judicial abatement process: an enforcement official serves a notice describing the violation and the applicable code section, gives the owner a minimum of 30 days to bring the structure into compliance, either by completing construction, demolishing the remnant, or otherwise securing the site, and advises the owner of the right to request a hearing before an administrative hearing officer within 14 calendar days.

If the owner does neither, the county may abate the condition itself, with the cost recorded as a special assessment lien on the property and collected along with the owner's county taxes.