Property Maintenance in Delaware (2026)
8 rules on the books across Delaware, 4 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Property Blight
Standards for property appearance including peeling paint, broken windows, junk accumulation, and other conditions the city considers blight.
New Castle County
Significant RestrictionsNew Castle County code officials can condemn, order repaired, or demolish any structure found unsafe, unfit for…
Read full rule →Sussex County
Significant RestrictionsSussex County's Code Official condemns any structure found unsafe or unfit for human occupancy under Chapter 71 of the…
Read full rule →Wilmington
Significant RestrictionsWilmington's licenses-and-inspections commissioner can condemn any dwelling that's damaged, unsanitary, or unsafe as…
Read full rule →Kent County
Some RestrictionsKent County's Property Maintenance Code caps weeds and grass at 12 inches on any parcel and adopts the 2018…
Read full rule →Vacant Lot Maintenance
Requirements for maintaining vacant or undeveloped land, including mowing, fencing, and preventing dumping and trespassing.
Kent County
Some RestrictionsKent County Code § 175-2(B), amending Property Maintenance Code § 302.4, caps weeds and grass at 12 inches on any…
Read full rule →New Castle County
Some RestrictionsNew Castle County caps weeds and grass on undeveloped parcels at 8 inches within 20 feet of any property line when they…
Read full rule →Sussex County
Some RestrictionsSussex County caps grass and weeds at 12 inches on improved and unimproved land under § 80-1 of its Property…
Read full rule →Wilmington
Some RestrictionsWilmington bans weeds and grasses over 8 inches tall on vacant lots, with a tighter 4-inch limit for growth in sidewalk…
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