Paramount, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Chapter 8.37 of the Paramount Municipal Code sets vacant property standards, and § 8.37.020 defines vacant to include any real property that is undeveloped, so an empty lot is covered. Under § 8.37.030(A) the responsible party must maintain and monitor the property and stays liable regardless of any contract with a third party. A responsible party includes every owner, owner of record, beneficiary, lien holder, trustee, servicing company, real estate agent and property management company. The Building Official or Public Safety Director can enter at reasonable times to inspect (subsection B).

Subsection C bars these conditions at any time on vacant property: accumulations on exterior portions of lumber, junk, trash, debris, construction material, furniture, appliances, cardboard boxes, clothing, shopping carts, equipment, hazardous material or abandoned personal property; wrecked, dismantled, inoperative or unregistered vehicles; vegetation that is overgrown, dead, decaying or not adequately trimmed, pruned, cut, fertilized, watered or replaced; lack of vegetation required by the Code or so as to create dust or soil erosion; pest or rodent infestation; and pools or fountains that harbor mosquitoes or are not secured.

Obligations build with time. At 15 consecutive calendar days of vacancy (subsection D) the responsible party must file a Letter of Agency with the Planning and Building Department so the City can remove trespassers and graffiti, name a contact with telephone number and email address, and, for vacant lots, install "No Trespassing" signs four feet by four feet in size, printed with weather resistant materials, placed where the Building Official or Public Safety Director directs, and visible from the public right-of-way. At 30 days (subsection E) a Vacant Property Mitigation Plan is due, inspections must be made at a minimum once each calendar week, and results go to the department within 48 hours. At 90 days (subsection F) electrical and water services must be terminated, and motion-activated lighting and video cameras that retain footage for a minimum of 30 days must be installed. Section 8.37.130 gives enforcement to the Planning and Building Department and the Public Safety Department.