Rochester, NY Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Under Chapter 90, Article I of the Property Code, a 'vacant lot' is defined as a lot, other than parkland, that is not improved by a structure and is not regularly maintained (§ 90-17(A)(2)). Section 90-17(B)(2) makes it the duty of every vacant lot owner to keep the lot safe, sanitary and free of refuse, high grass and overgrown weeds. Section 90-17(D) spells out when a lot fails that standard: poor structural condition of any remaining structures, fire hazards, or any Property Code violation that endangers health, safety or public welfare.

The Commissioner runs an identification program built from department inspections, complaints and interdepartmental referrals (§ 90-17(C)(1)), then mails notice to the owner's address of record with the Bureau of Assessment specifying the violated Code sections (§ 90-17(C)(2)). An owner who does not comply within five days of that notice can have the work done by City employees or contractors and billed for the cost (§ 90-17(C)(3)(a)); a repeat violator can be redone at the owner's expense without further notice. Separately, the older Chapter 89, Care of Property, independently bans specific noxious weeds, including poison ivy, poison oak, thistles and burdocks, on any vacant lot at all times (§ 89-11), backed by its own fine of up to $150 or up to 15 days' imprisonment, or a civil penalty of $5 to $500 (§ 89-12).

The two provisions overlap in practice: the Property Code duty is broader (general safety/sanitation plus grass and weeds) while the Care of Property ban targets a specific list of noxious plants.