Piscataway, NJ Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Under the Property Maintenance Code of Piscataway Township (adopted at Township Code § 17-1), PM-301.3 makes clear that vacant land is not exempt from upkeep: "All vacant structures and premises thereof or vacant land shall be maintained in a clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition" so it does not "cause a blighting problem or adversely affect the public health or safety." PM-301.2 places that duty on the property owner. Separately, PM-303.4 sets the operative weed standard for every exterior property in the township, vacant or occupied: growth over eight inches is a violation, and "noxious weeds shall be prohibited" outright, though the code exempts cultivated flowers and gardens and allows the Director of Community Development or the Planning Board to approve a documented native-ecosystem or LEED-certified landscaping plan that lets vegetation grow taller.

PM-303.1 additionally requires that all exterior property be kept in a clean, safe and sanitary condition generally, covering debris and blight beyond weeds alone. The Township's Property Maintenance and Code Enforcement Officers, working under the Department of Planning and Community Development, inspect and issue notices of violation; an owner who fails to correct a cited condition faces prosecution in Piscataway Municipal Court. PM-106.2 sets the penalty for any Property Maintenance Code violation, including PM-301.3 and PM-303.4, at a fine of not less than $250 nor more than $2,000, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both, at the court's discretion, and each day a violation continues after notice counts as a separate offense.