Owners of vacant or unoccupied lots on Oahu must keep properties clear of weeds, debris, and fire hazards, and must respond within 30 days to city cleanup notices under Section 40-7.4.
Vacant-lot maintenance in Honolulu is enforced through the same mechanism as occupied properties. ROH Section 40-7.4 defines 'weeds' broadly to include any plant growth that is a fire hazard, shelters vermin, or obstructs sidewalks and waterways. When the Director of Planning and Permitting finds such conditions on a vacant lot, the owner is mailed a notice and given 30 days to remove the weeds and debris. If the owner does not comply, the city may enter the lot, abate the condition, and record a lien for costs plus 7 percent annual interest. These rules replaced older references to 'Chapter 41, Article 10' under the pre-2021 code renumbering.
Failure to maintain a vacant lot results in city-conducted cleanup, a lien for costs, accrued interest, and possible additional civil fines for repeated noncompliance.
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See how Honolulu County's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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