Miami, FL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Height limit
- 12 inches (grass, weeds, bushes)
- Enforcement
- Code enforcement inspector notice
- City cleanup fee
- $150 administrative charge + costs
- Repeat violators
- Continual Maintenance Program
- Exempt owners
- Federal/state/county/city-owned lots
Summary
Miami caps grass, weeds, and bushes on any lot at 12 inches and requires owners to clear garbage, saplings, and debris or face code enforcement.
It shall be the duty of all owners of lots, parcels and tracts of land within the city to keep such property in a safe clean and presentable condition, and to remove therefrom all garbage, surplus grass, saplings, weeds and other growths, and all trash, and to fill in all excavations and depressions thereon, and to limit the growth of grass, weeds, or bushes to no more than 12 inches in height.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 | Ordinance 11000 (Previous Zoning Code): Supplement 22 | Miami 21 (Zoning Code): ?).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 22-117 makes every lot owner responsible for keeping the property safe, clean, and presentable, including removing garbage, surplus grass, saplings, weeds, and trash, filling excavations, and limiting grass, weeds, or bushes to no more than 12 inches in height. Sec. 22-116 separately bans letting growth or waste accumulate to the point it becomes a menace to health, safety, or a fire hazard. Registered vacant lots in repeated violation fall under the city's Continual Maintenance Program, letting the city or its vendors enter and clear the lot after notice.
Violations & Fines
Code enforcement mails or posts notice with a compliance deadline; if the owner misses it, the city clears the lot itself and bills an itemized cost plus a $150 administrative charge as a special assessment lien on the property, enforceable by foreclosure or the annual lien sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can weeds get on a vacant lot in Miami before it's a violation?
What happens if I ignore the notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami to another location·View the Florida property maintenance overview
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle vacant lot maintenance.