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

Section 223-52, in Chapter 223's Article XI, Environmental Requirements, sets the baseline maintenance duty for every property in the Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County, whether occupied or not. " Subsection B places responsibility squarely on the owner: a person may not occupy as owner, or let a tenant occupy, premises that fail to meet the article's requirements. " That duty layers on top of the article's other exterior standards that apply whether or not a lot is occupied, including § 223-53's ban on any accumulation of rubbish or garbage on exterior property, § 223-55's requirement that premises be graded to prevent standing water lasting more than seven days after the last rainfall, and § 223-59's 10-inch cap on weeds and plant growth.

Enforcement runs through the same Code Official process as the rest of Chapter 223: the Director of Buildings and Inspections or Code Enforcement Officer (§ 223-18) can inspect the vacant lot or structure, issue a written notice describing the defect and a correction deadline (§§ 223-20, 223-34 through 223-35), and, for a vacant structure that is unfit and not in imminent danger of collapse, order it placarded and closed up under § 223-33 if the owner fails to secure it.