Multnomah County, OR Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 15.229(A)(7)
- Abatement deadline
- 30 days after written notice
- Appeal window
- 7 days to request hearing
- Penalty
- Class A violation, fine renews daily
- Applies to
- Unincorporated and incorporated county areas
Summary
Multnomah County code makes uncontrolled or uncultivated weeds, brush, or grasses a nuisance on any property, including vacant lots, when they harbor rodents or vectors, spread pollen, create a fire hazard, or produce toxins harmful to people or animals.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or allow to exist the following things, practices or conditions on any property or within public road rights-of-way adjacent to that property, which shall be nuisances: ... (7) Uncontrolled or uncultivated growth of weeds, brush, or grasses which offer vector or rodent harborage, contribute noxious pollens to the atmosphere, constitute a fire hazard or produce toxins that are harmful to humans, pets, livestock or wildlife.
Full Breakdown
The Health Officer or Sheriff can investigate and, on probable cause, must send the property owner written notice describing the weed nuisance and demanding abatement within 30 days, or a shorter deadline if urgent (Multnomah County Code § 15.230). The owner can request a hearing within seven days of the notice under § 15.231. Failure to abate within the deadline is a violation, punishable as a Class A violation, with a fine renewed daily. This nuisance subchapter reaches both unincorporated and incorporated parts of the county, including Portland, for vector-control purposes, though Portland's own municipal code separately regulates weeds within city limits.
Violations & Fines
Written notice demands abatement within 30 days (shorter if urgent); ignoring it is a violation punishable as a Class A violation, with each day a separate offense, under § 15.999.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply if I live in Portland?
What happens if I don't clear the weeds after getting a notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon property maintenance overview
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