Yakima County, WA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- Clean, safe, secure, sanitary; no blighting problem
- Recycling window
- 30 days before unrecycled scrap is a nuisance
- Drainage duty
- Grade land to stop erosion, standing water
- Enforcer
- Yakima County Public Services code enforcement division
- Cost recovery
- Abatement costs become a lien on the parcel
Summary
Vacant land and vacant structures in unincorporated Yakima County must be kept clean, safe, secure and sanitary so they don't create a blighting problem, under the county's Property Maintenance Code. Owners must also grade the land to stop erosion and standing water, and clear accumulated trash, junk or unrecycled scrap and building materials within 30 days.
401.3 Vacant structures and land. All vacant structures and premises thereof or vacant land shall be maintained in a clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition as provided herein so as not to cause a blighting problem or adversely affect the public health or safety. 402.2 Grading and drainage. All premises shall be graded and maintained to prevent the erosion of soil and to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water thereon, or within any structure located thereon. NUISANCE, VIOLATION or NUISANCE VIOLATION means: (b) The existence of any of the following conditions: (i) Premises containing accumulations of trash, junk, litter, boxes, lumber (excluding lumber for a construction project on the property with a valid permit); ... (iv) Premises containing accumulations of bottles, boxes, building materials which are not properly stored or neatly piled, cans, glass, tires, numerous pieces of broken or discarded furniture and furnishings, old appliances or equipment or any parts thereof, iron or other scrap metal, wire, salvage materials, or other recyclable items which have not been recycled within thirty (30) days of being deposited on the property,
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4871853; v6 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
3 of Yakima County's Property Maintenance Code puts a standing duty on the owner of any vacant structure, vacant premises or vacant land: keep it clean, safe, secure and sanitary so it doesn't create a blighting problem or threaten public health or safety. 2 adds a grading and drainage duty that applies to every parcel, vacant or not, requiring the land be graded to stop soil erosion and prevent stagnant water from pooling on the surface or seeping into any structure. Yakima County's nuisance definition in Section 302 gives the vacant-land duty teeth: subsection (i) makes accumulations of trash, junk, litter, boxes or lumber a nuisance violation (construction lumber under a valid permit is exempt), and subsection (iv) reaches building materials that aren't neatly stored, cans, glass, tires, discarded furniture, old appliances, scrap metal, wire or other recyclable items that haven't been recycled within thirty days of being left on the property.
7 and bill every cost, including hauling and disposal, back to the owner as a lien against the parcel. Left unmaintained, a vacant lot can also trigger the attractive-nuisance provisions of Section 302 covering abandoned pits, unfenced pools and unsecured excavations left accessible to children.
Violations & Fines
A vacant lot left with trash, unrecycled scrap or standing water past the 30-day recycling window is a nuisance violation the code official can order abated under Section 109.5. If the owner misses the abatement deadline, the county clears the property itself under Section 109.7 and bills hauling, disposal and administrative costs to the owner as a lien against the land under Sections 109.7.4 and 109.7.6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to mow or clean up a vacant lot I own in unincorporated Yakima County?
What counts as a nuisance on an empty lot?
What happens if I ignore the county's notice to clean up my lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima County
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