Petaluma, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unimproved and improved parcels
- Liable parties
- Owner, agent or lessee
- Notice before hearing
- At least 7 days mailed
- Unpaid cost becomes
- Lien on the parcel
- Self-clear window
- Before fire chief arrives
Summary
Petaluma Municipal Code Chapter 10.70 applies to both unimproved and improved parcels, and bars any owner, agent or lessee from letting hazardous vegetation or rubbish remain on a lot, the adjoining street or sidewalk. Left uncleared, the growth or debris is a declared public nuisance the city can abate and bill to the property.
A. It is the intent of the city council that this chapter shall apply to the abatement of hazardous vegetation and combustible material on unimproved and improved parcels in the city; ... D. ... "Rubbish," as used in this chapter, means all combustible waste or refuse matter which has been left, deposited or abandoned on any lot or parcel of land in the city, and also means noncombustible waste matter, refuse, dirt and worthless or useless articles of property left, deposited or abandoned on any lot or parcel of land in the city in such fashion or in such quantity as to be unsightly, unhealthful, dangerous to persons ... A. No owner, agent, lessee or other person occupying or having charge or control of any building, lot or premises within the city shall permit hazardous vegetation or rubbish to remain upon such premises, the streets or sidewalks or upon or in front of their property. B. All rubbish and hazardous vegetation growing upon the streets or sidewalks or upon or in front of private property within the city is declared to be a public nuisance by the city council and may thereafter be abated as provided by this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 10.70.010(A) states plainly that the city council intends the chapter "to apply to the abatement of hazardous vegetation and combustible material on unimproved and improved parcels in the city," so a vacant lot is treated the same as a built lot. "Rubbish" is defined broadly in section 10.70.020(D) to mean combustible waste left, deposited or abandoned on a lot, plus noncombustible waste, refuse, dirt or "worthless or useless articles of property" left on the lot in a quantity that is "unsightly, unhealthful, dangerous to persons," or that interferes with clearing the vegetation.
Section 10.70.030 makes it unlawful for the owner, agent, lessee or anyone with charge or control of the lot to permit either hazardous vegetation or rubbish to remain on the premises or on the abutting street or sidewalk, and declares any such growth or debris a public nuisance the city council may abate. The process starts with a council resolution and published notice, followed by mailed notice to the owner at the address on file with the city assessor at least seven days before a public hearing, where owners can raise objections before the council votes to proceed (10.70.040).
An owner can always remove the vegetation or rubbish at personal expense to avoid the city's abatement cost, so long as it happens before the fire chief arrives to do the work (10.70.060(C)).
Violations & Fines
If the owner does not clear a vacant lot, the fire chief may abate it and bill the property owner for the itemized cost of investigation, notice and removal; after a council hearing on any objections, the amount is confirmed as a special assessment that becomes a lien on the lot and is collected on the next county tax bill under the same penalties and foreclosure rules as delinquent property taxes (10.70.080, 10.70.090).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Petaluma's weed ordinance apply to vacant, undeveloped lots?
What counts as rubbish on a vacant lot under this ordinance?
Who is responsible for clearing a vacant lot?
What happens if the city has to clear the lot itself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle vacant lot maintenance.