Del Norte County, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Under Del Norte County Code Chapter 7.08, any vacant, unoccupied, or abandoned building or structure that is not reasonably secured against uninvited entry, or that constitutes a fire hazard, or is in an unsightly or dangerous condition amounting to a blighted condition detrimental to property values or to the public health, safety, and welfare, is declared a nuisance. The code specifies that a building is 'unsecured' when it is unlocked or the public can gain entry without the owner's consent. Vacant lots are also subject to the broader visual-blight provisions, meaning owners cannot allow accumulations of junk, trash, debris, scrap metal, rubbish, or inoperative vehicles to build up on the parcel. Conditions that harbor rats, vermin, or other vectors are separately declared nuisances. For overgrown vegetation and seasonal fire-hazard weeds, the county relies on California weed and rubbish abatement law (Government Code sections 39500 et seq. and 39560 et seq.) referenced in the nuisance code, rather than a fixed published grass-height standard. The Code Enforcement Division handles vacant-property complaints through its standard graduated process of notice, compliance deadline, citation, and administrative hearing, and can pursue securing or abatement of dangerous vacant structures. Owners of vacant parcels should keep buildings secured, eliminate fire and vector hazards, and remove debris to avoid nuisance citations.