Vacant lots and vacant structures in Erie County are regulated by each municipality under the NYS Property Maintenance Code and local law. Owners must keep vacant land clean, safe, secure, and sanitary; the county does not enforce these standards.
The Property Maintenance Code of New York State, Section 301.3, requires that vacant structures, premises, and vacant land be maintained in a clean, safe, secure, and sanitary condition so as not to cause a blighting problem or adversely affect public health or safety. This state code is enforced by municipal code-enforcement programs, not by Erie County. Buffalo and the surrounding towns and villages also maintain their own vacant-property registries, securing requirements, and mowing or clean-up obligations for vacant parcels. Erie County's involvement in vacant land is limited to tax-foreclosure auctions of delinquent parcels and to solid-waste and recycling planning; it does not issue property-maintenance citations. Report an unsafe or unsightly vacant lot to your city or town building or code-enforcement
Municipalities enforce vacant-property standards under PMC 301.3 and local law. Owners typically receive a notice to secure or clean the parcel; failure can result in municipal abatement, cost liens, and fines under the local code.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Erie County, NY
Animal hoarding in Erie County is investigated by the SPCA Serving Erie County and prosecuted as cruelty by the Erie County District Attorney's Animal Cruelt...
Erie County, NY
The Erie County Department of Health treats improper bird and wildlife feeding as a rodent attractant and public-health nuisance and investigates complaints ...
Erie County, NY
Erie County does not license cats, but New York law requires every cat to be rabies-vaccinated, and the county Health Department runs free rabies clinics for...
Erie County, NY
Erie County sets no numeric limit on household pets. Any cap on the number of dogs or cats comes from a town, city, or village ordinance, while state law req...
Erie County, NY
Erie County imposes no countywide livestock ordinance. Keeping cattle, horses, goats, pigs, or other farm animals is controlled by each town, city, or villag...
Erie County, NY
Backyard composting is legal and encouraged in Erie County. The county has no mandate or ban on home composting; nuisance and setback details, if any, come f...
See how Erie County's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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