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

Chapter 15.62, Vacant Property Registration, adopted by Ordinance 1421 in 2008, was built to keep foreclosure-driven vacancies from blighting Rialto neighborhoods (Section 15.62.010). It applies once a lender or trustee inspects a property ahead of recording a notice of default and finds it abandoned or showing evidence of vacancy, such as overgrown or dead vegetation, disconnected utilities, accumulated mail or flyers, or missing window coverings (Section 15.62.040); 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.

Once registered, Section 15.62.050 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.

Section 15.62.060 separately requires the property to be secured against unauthorized entry within 72 hours of becoming vacant, with a local property management company retained to inspect it weekly under Section 15.62.070 and correct any violation within 24 hours of discovery.