Stonecrest, GA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Chapter 18's purpose clause (section 18-1) sets minimum standards for the use, occupancy, condition and maintenance of property, dwellings, buildings, and structures across the city, and section 18-2(a) extends that reach past occupied buildings, stating that the chapter also governs the condition of unimproved property, meaning a vacant lot with no structure on it is still covered. Section 18-2(a) separately requires that when a building on a lot sits vacant, the owner keep the exterior compliant, clear the interior of trash and debris, and secure the structure in a closed and inaccessible manner, boarded to the building official's specifications, until it is occupied again.

For land itself, section 18-20(a) prohibits dead or hazardous trees, shrubs, ground cover or weeds that could harbor vermin, block sidewalks and streets, obstruct traffic signs or fire hydrants, or risk physical injury. Section 18-20(b) separately bars keeping used or damaged lumber, junk, trash, scrap metal, tires, salvage materials, or abandoned household fixtures and yard waste on a lot for more than seven calendar days if it is visible from the street, an alley, or an adjoining property, unless the owner has obtained the necessary city and county permits.

Section 18-20(c) makes co-owners and tenants of a jointly used parking area jointly and severally responsible for keeping it free of garbage and trash. Enforcement runs through the Community Development Department under section 18-25, which can inspect with consent or an inspection warrant, and violations carry the chapter's general penalty in section 18-31: a fine and/or imprisonment under chapter 1, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense.