Suffolk, VA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

An empty parcel in Suffolk still carries an upkeep duty. City Code Sec. 34-110 requires the owner of vacant developed or undeveloped real property to cut the grass, weeds, and other foreign growth whenever it reaches an average height of not less than ten inches. If the owner fails after reasonable notice, the city manager's office can have the growth cut by city crews and charge the cost plus a $75.00 administrative fee. Under Sec. 34-111 that charge becomes a lien on the property, collectible like taxes. The removal duty in Sec. 34-109, clearing trash and debris, applies to vacant lots too, so a dumped-on lot faces both the mowing rule and nuisance abatement.