San Leandro, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

SLMC § 3-1-220 imposes a standalone maintenance regime on top of the Community Preservation Ordinance's general nuisance rules for any lot that is undeveloped. The owner must designate a local contact representative with a working phone number and an address within 50 miles of the lot. The property itself must stay free of litter, weeds, dry brush, dead or dying vegetation, graffiti, debris, trash, junk, storage units, discarded items, and stockpiled material at all times, and the owner or designee must inspect it at reasonable intervals to confirm that.

Vegetation management standards cap ground cover, turf, and grasses at four inches tall and require weeds over four inches to be removed, with shrubs and hedges trimmed to leave at least 18 inches of clearance above the ground. Fencing and security rules require the lot to be fenced on all sides at or within two feet of the property line, with fencing at least 72 inches tall, non-view-obscuring, and fitted with a gate if the lot is 5,000 square feet or larger so emergency crews can get in.

Each frontage needs at least one posted 'No Trespassing' sign, plus a weather-resistant posting at least 18 by 24 inches giving the name, address, and 24-hour contact number of whoever maintains the property. The Community Development Director may approve an alternative method of securing a lot if it is at least as effective.