Rialto, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration trigger
- Notice of default or evidence of vacancy
- Registration deadline
- 10 days after inspection/abandonment finding
- Securing deadline
- 72 hours after property becomes vacant
- Pool rule
- Drained or 6-ft locked fence
- Property inspections
- Weekly by local management company
- Civil penalty
- Up to $1,000/day, $100,000/parcel/year cap
Summary
Rialto requires vacant and abandoned properties, most often bank-owned homes in foreclosure, to be registered with the city and kept free of graffiti, weeds, dead vegetation, trash, junk and abandoned furniture or vehicles under Section 15.62.050. Front and side yards must stay landscaped to the neighborhood standard, and any pool or spa must be drained or secured behind a locked six-foot fence.
15.62.010 - Purpose/scope. It is the purpose and intent of the Rialto city council, through the adoption of this chapter, to establish a vacant, abandoned property registration program as a mechanism to protect Rialto's neighborhoods from becoming blighted through the lack of adequate maintenance and security of abandoned properties. 15.62.050 - Maintenance. Properties that are either vacant or abandoned, or both, shall be maintained free of graffiti; visible front and side yards shall be landscaped and maintained to the neighborhood standard; maintenance includes irrigation, curing, pruning, and mowing; pools and spas shall be kept in working order or drained, and must be secured behind a locked and screened fence or gate, of at least six feet height, so as not to become an attractive nuisance; properties shall be kept free of weeds, dead vegetation, trash, junk, debris, newspapers, flyers, personal items, furniture, appliances, vehicles, etc.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 39).
Full Breakdown
010). 040); the responsible party must then register the property with the city within ten days, pay a registration fee, and file a statement of intent covering expected vacancy period, maintenance plan and a timeline for occupancy, rehabilitation or demolition. 050 sets the maintenance floor: the property must stay free of graffiti, its visible front and side yards must be landscaped and irrigated, pruned and mowed to the 'neighborhood standard,' meaning conditions matching a simple majority of properties within a 300-foot radius, and it must be kept clear of weeds, dead vegetation, trash, junk, debris, newspapers, personal items, furniture, appliances and vehicles.
Pools and spas must be kept in working order or drained, and secured behind a locked, screened fence or gate at least six feet high. 070 and correct any violation within 24 hours of discovery.
Violations & Fines
Section 15.62.100 authorizes civil penalties up to $1,000 per day for violating the maintenance or registration requirements, capped at $100,000 per parcel per year, plus interest at ten percent annually on unpaid amounts. The city can also administratively abate the nuisance itself under Section 15.62.080 and bill the responsible party for cleanup, boarding and legal costs, or pursue summary abatement for conditions posing an immediate safety threat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply to any weedy vacant lot in Rialto?
What counts as failing the maintenance standard?
Who can appeal a vacant-property violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rialto
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle vacant lot maintenance.