Rochester Hills, MI Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Section 18-532 modifies Section 301.3, Vacant structures and land, of the adopted International Property Maintenance Code to require that vacant buildings and structures and their premises, or vacant land including the adjacent right-of-way, be maintained in a clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition so as not to create or contribute to blight or adversely affect public health or safety. Once a residential, commercial or industrial building is vacant, closed or otherwise not open for business or occupancy for more than 30 consecutive days, any boarded exterior opening must use half-inch water-resistant plywood, securely fastened and painted a neutral color that blends with the building, with broken glass or damaged boarding replaced within ten working days of the Code Official's request; intact windows may not be covered with newsprint.

The exterior premises adjacent to a vacant building must be kept clean and aesthetically pleasing, including maintained signage, lighting, parking areas, sidewalks and other common areas. A companion provision, Section 301.4, Blighted property, added by the same ordinance, bars keeping any property in a state that endangers public health or safety, is a public nuisance, or is unfit for human occupancy in a way that will tend toward blight. Weeds on vacant land are separately regulated at Section 302.4, which requires all premises and exterior property, including the adjacent right-of-way, to stay free of weeds or plant growth over eight inches.