---
title: Chetwynd unsightly property rules and how to report
question: "How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Chetwynd?"
place: Chetwynd, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/chetwynd
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Chetwynd
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/unsightly-property/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/unsightly-property.json"
---

# Chetwynd unsightly property rules and how to report

**Question:** How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Chetwynd?

**Short answer:** In Chetwynd, report an unsightly or overgrown property to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-401-4119. You must give your name. The officer can order the owner to fix it, and the District can do the work at the owner's cost if it is not done after 7 days.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Chetwynd, https://www.gochetwynd.com)  
**Cost:** Ticket: $50 for most offences; $100 for failing to remove a dangerous tree on notice. Failure to keep land clear of noxious weeds is $100.  
**How long:** The owner has until 7 days after the written notice to do the work.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, 250-401-4119
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, mmckinnon@gochetwynd.com
- In person: District of Chetwynd Municipal Office, 5400 Hospital Road, Chetwynd, BC V0C 1J0
- By mail: Mail, PO Box 357, Chetwynd, BC V0C 1J0

## Key facts

- **What counts:** No rubbish, stagnant water, overgrown lawn, brush or trees, or unsightly conditions. Unsightly may include: broken fences; unenclosed vehicles or parts both unlicensed and inoperable; construction materials with no construction; non-outdoor furniture, mattresses or appliances outside; uncontained compost; lawn over 20.32 cm (8 in) outside agricultural zones; noxious weeds; graffiti. Also pests, unsanitary conditions, snow and ice on sidewalks after noon.
  - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009, s. 4.1, 4.2.1, 4.5.1](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Property-Maintenance-Unsightly-Premises-Bylaw-No.-912-2009.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No owner or occupier of real property shall accumulate or permit to" … "overgrown lawn area, vegetation, shrubs, brush or trees" … "dilapidated, broken or leaning fences" … "in excess of 20.32 centimetres (8 inches) in" … "mattresses, bedding or appliances" … "uncontained compost piles" … "by no later than 12:00 o'clock noon on every day" … "unenclosed storage on property of motor vehicle parts or of motor" … "vehicles that are neither capable of normal vehicular operation nor"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to report:** Call the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-401-4119, email mmckinnon@gochetwynd.com, visit the District office at 5400 Hospital Road, or mail PO Box 357, Chetwynd B.C. V0C 1J0. You must identify yourself; anonymous complaints are not accepted. Give the address, a description of the violation and when it was first seen.
  - Source: [Bylaw Enforcement, Reporting a concern](https://www.gochetwynd.com/municipal-office/departments/protective-services/bylaw-enforcement/)
  - Official wording: "Call the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at the District Office 250-401-4119" … "By E-mail mmckinnon@gochetwynd.com" … "In-person at the District office located at 5400 Hospital Road" … "By mail to PO Box 357, Chetwynd B.C V0C1J0." … "we will not accept anonymous complaints"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **What happens next:** A Bylaw Enforcement Officer may give written notice requiring the owner or occupier to fix the problem in the time stated. If the work is not done 7 days after the notice (snow and ice excepted), the District may do it at the owner's expense; unpaid costs on December 31 are owed to the District as a debt.
  - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009, s. 6.3, 6.4.1](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Property-Maintenance-Unsightly-Premises-Bylaw-No.-912-2009.pdf)
  - Official wording: "may give written notice to the registered owner," … "remedy the unsightly condition within the time specified in the notice" … "the Municipality may, by its employees or agent, enter upon the real" … "property affected by such notice and perform or complete such work at the" … "be considered as money owing to the Municipality"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** $50 for most offences under the bylaw (unsightly accumulation s. 4.1, littering, graffiti, unsanitary conditions, failure to remove, pests, snow and ice, fence repair, failure to comply with a notice); $100 for failing to remove a dangerous tree on notice. Court maximum $10,000.
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 935, 2011, Appendix 6](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Municipal-Ticket-Information-Bylaw-No.-935-2011.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Permit Real Property to Accumulate Matter or Thing" … "Failure to Remove Dangerous Tree Upon Notice" … "Failure to Comply with a Notice"
  - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009, s. 7.1](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Property-Maintenance-Unsightly-Premises-Bylaw-No.-912-2009.pdf)
  - Official wording: "maximum fine of ten" … "thousand ($10,000) dollars"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** District of Chetwynd Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009
  - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009, s. 1](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Property-Maintenance-Unsightly-Premises-Bylaw-No.-912-2009.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Property Maintenance and" … "Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The District of Chetwynd's [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912](<https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Property-Maintenance-Unsightly-Premises-Bylaw-No.-912-2009.pdf>) says no one may leave rubbish, stagnant water, overgrown lawn, brush or trees, or unsightly conditions on a property. A Bylaw Enforcement Officer may give written notice requiring the owner or occupier to fix the problem in the time stated.

## Steps

1. Note the address, describe the problem and when you first saw it.
2. Call the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-401-4119, email mmckinnon@gochetwynd.com, visit the District office at 5400 Hospital Road, or mail PO Box 357, Chetwynd, BC V0C 1J0.
3. Give your name. Anonymous complaints are not accepted.

## Good to know

- Unsightly can include broken fences, unlicensed and inoperable vehicles or parts left out, construction materials with no construction under way, indoor furniture, mattresses or appliances outside, uncontained compost, lawn over 20.32 cm (8 in) outside agricultural zones, noxious weeds and graffiti. Pests, unsanitary conditions, and snow and ice on sidewalks after noon are also covered.
- If the work is not done 7 days after the notice (snow and ice excepted), the District may do it at the owner's expense. Costs unpaid on December 31 are owed to the District as a debt.
- Hazardous trees can be ordered trimmed or removed on 7 days' written notice.
- The bylaw does not apply to outside storage that the Zoning Bylaw permits and screens.
- Tickets are $50 for most offences and $100 for failing to remove a dangerous tree on notice. A court can set a fine up to $10,000. Failing to clear noxious weeds is $100.

## Official forms and pages

- [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009 (PDF)](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Property-Maintenance-Unsightly-Premises-Bylaw-No.-912-2009.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Chetwynd noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/noise-rules.md)
- [Chetwynd bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/bylaw-fines.md)
- [Chetwynd zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/unsightly-property.md)
- [Tumbler Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/unsightly-property.md)
- [Fort St. John](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/unsightly-property.md)
- [Dawson Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/unsightly-property.md)
- [Pouce Coupe](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/unsightly-property.md)
- [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/unsightly-property.md)
- [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/unsightly-property.md)

## Sources

- [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 912, 2009 (PDF), District of Chetwynd](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Property-Maintenance-Unsightly-Premises-Bylaw-No.-912-2009.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Enforcement, District of Chetwynd](https://www.gochetwynd.com/municipal-office/departments/protective-services/bylaw-enforcement/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 935, 2011 (PDF), District of Chetwynd](https://www.gochetwynd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Municipal-Ticket-Information-Bylaw-No.-935-2011.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Chetwynd. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/unsightly-property/_