Vacant lots and structures in Reading are subject to three layered requirements: (1) mandatory registration with the Property Maintenance Division's online Vacant Property Registry under the City's vacant and abandoned property ordinance, with mortgagees of defaulted properties required to register within 10 days of inspection; (2) a 6-inch maximum vegetation height under QOL.004 of Chapter 180, Part 12; and (3) eligibility for blight referral under Codified Ordinance Β§23-903A if the lot becomes an accumulation point for trash or vermin or remains unrehabilitated for one year after notice. A nonrefundable annual registration fee applies under the City Fee Schedule.
Reading addresses vacant lots through three overlapping mechanisms. First, the City operates an online Vacant Property Registry administered by the Property Maintenance Division: every mortgagee that holds a mortgage on real property in Reading must perform an inspection upon default by the mortgagor and, if the inspection shows vacancy, register the property within 10 days using the City's online system. The registry collects owner-of-record contact information, designates a local property manager required to respond within 24 hours, and assesses a nonrefundable annual registration fee under the current City Fee Schedule (rates adjusted periodically by Council resolution). Second, every vacant lot - regardless of registration status - is subject to QOL.004 of the Quality of Life ordinance at Chapter 180, Part 12, which prohibits weeds or plant growth in excess of six inches anywhere on the premises or exterior property. Reading inspectors will mow and bill (lien-back) the cost when the owner fails to abate after notice. Third, persistent vacancy or accumulation of debris triggers referral to the Blighted Property Review Committee under Β§23-903A: specifically, a vacant or unimproved lot in a predominantly developed neighborhood that has become a place for the accumulation of trash and debris or a haven for rodents or vermin satisfies the blight criteria on its own. The City's housing-violation provisions at Β§212-116 layer additional standards for vacant structures, including a sealed-and-secured requirement, posting of the registered owner's contact information, and rodent control.
Failure to register a vacant property within 10 days of the triggering inspection is a Property Maintenance Division violation enforced through Quality of Life ticketing under Chapter 180, Part 12; tickets are mailed to the mortgagee and property owner of record without prior warning. The 6-inch vegetation cap at QOL.004 is enforced by City mow-and-bill: when the owner fails to abate within the notice period the Public Works Streets Division (610-655-6285) cuts the lot and the cost plus administrative fee is added to the property tax bill as a municipal lien under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act, 53 P.S. Β§7101. Lots that meet Β§23-903A criteria are referred to the Blighted Property Review Committee for the 30-day-notice determination hearing described under property-blight.
Reading, PA
Every swimming pool in Reading must be enclosed by a permanent barrier or fence at least four feet in height with no opening larger than four inches, and the...
Reading, PA
Reading Zoning Code Β§ 600-1304 bans barbed-wire fences in residential settings, electrically-charged fences (except invisible pet fences), broken glass affix...
Reading, PA
Reading's zoning code does not require neighbor consent for a boundary fence under Β§ 600-1301, but Pennsylvania's partition-fence statute (53 P.S. Β§ 46202) a...
Reading, PA
Reading Zoning Code Β§ 600-1301 requires a permit from the Zoning Administrator for any fence, wall, or similar structure greater than three feet in height. F...
Reading, PA
Reading Code Section 141-220 effectively caps a household at six dogs and/or cats combined. Owning more than six requires a permit from the Reading Animal Co...
Reading, PA
Propane (LP-gas) storage in Reading is regulated through the 2018 International Fire Code Chapter 61 (Liquefied Petroleum Gases), adopted by Reading Chapter ...
See how Reading's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.