Chilliwack unsightly property rules and how to report
How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Chilliwack?
Short answer
In Chilliwack, report an unsightly, garbage-strewn or overgrown property to City Bylaw Enforcement at 604-793-2908. The Community Standards Bylaw requires owners to keep grass and weeds under 25 centimetres and the property free of rubbish; an unsightly property ticket is $500.
Key facts
| What counts | An owner or occupier must not let a property become or stay unsightly. 'Unsightly' includes, but is not limited to: building materials piled up (unless there is a valid building permit or they are stored out of sight in a closed building); unlicensed or non-running vehicles (unless zoning permits or stored in a closed building); rubbish, filth or scrap; fallen or damaged building materials; heavy equipment outside industrial zones; graffiti; garbage not in a covered, fully enclosed receptacle; a leaning or broken fence; uncontrolled vegetation; and grass or weeds over 25 cm (not on lawfully farmed land). Metal storage containers and alien invasive plants are also restricted.Community Standards Bylaw, No. 5041 (consolidated to May 2, 2023), ss. 4-9 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05Official wording“unsightly” includes, but is not limited to: the presence of graffiti, whether in the form of pictures or words a fence that is in a state of disrepair, including but not limited to a fence that is leaning or missing panels grass, weeds or other similar ground cover over 25 centimeters in height shall not cause, allow or permit the parcel to become or to remain unsightly permit the storage of a Metal Storage Container |
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| How to report | Phone Bylaw Enforcement at 604-793-2908 (office hours Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). The department works mainly from complaints.Property Maintenance, Contacts; Bylaw Enforcement, intro · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05Official wordingV2P 8A4 - Phone: 604-793-2908 operates primarily on a reactive, complaint-driven basis Office hours for the Bylaw Department are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. |
| What happens next | A Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue a Notice to comply, served in person, by registered mail, in a mailbox, or posted on the property. If the owner does not do what the notice requires within the time stated in it, the City may do the work at the owner's expense, and unpaid charges on December 31 are added to the property taxes. A notice can be appealed to the Director within 5 days.Community Standards Bylaw, No. 5041 (consolidated to May 2, 2023), ss. 26-28, 30 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05Official wordingmay be issued a Notice to comply with the requirements of this Bylaw by posting it in a conspicuous place on the real property may enter onto the property and perform the obligations at the expense of the person defaulting shall be added to and form part of the taxes payable may, within 5 days, appeal the Notice to the Director |
| Fine | $500 for unsightly real property (s. 5), accumulation of rubbish (s. 6) or failing to remove it (s. 7); $490 if paid within 14 days, $510 if paid after 28 days. Boulevard offences (s. 14-15) are $200 ($190 early, $210 late). Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 4573, Schedule A.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 4573 (consolidated April 21, 2026), Schedule A, Community Standards Bylaw 5041; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 4573 (consolidated April 21, 2026), s. 6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05Official wordingUnsightly Real Property 5 500.00 490.00 510.00 Yes Over Height Grass or Vegetation on Boulevard 14(2) 200.00 190.00 210.00 Yes If received by the City within 14 days If more than 28 days after the person received |
| Bylaw | Community Standards Bylaw 2021, No. 5041Community Standards Bylaw, No. 5041 (consolidated to May 2, 2023), s. 1; Property Maintenance, intro · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-05Official wording"Community Standards Bylaw 2021, No. 5041" In accordance with the City of Chilliwack’s Community Standards Bylaw |
How it works
The City of Chilliwack's Community Standards Bylaw 5041 says an owner or occupier must not let a property become or stay unsightly. That includes, among other things:
- piled building materials (unless there is a valid building permit or they are stored in a closed building)
- unlicensed or non-running vehicles (unless zoning permits)
- rubbish, filth or scrap, and garbage not kept in a covered, fully enclosed receptacle
- graffiti, a leaning or broken fence, and uncontrolled vegetation
- grass or weeds over 25 cm (not on lawfully farmed land)
Bylaw Enforcement works mainly from complaints.
Steps
- Call Bylaw Enforcement at 604-793-2908 with the address and what you see.
- An officer may issue a notice to comply, served in person, by registered mail, in a mailbox, or posted on the property.
- If the owner does not do what the notice requires within the time it states, the City may do the work at the owner's expense. Unpaid charges on December 31 are added to the property taxes.
Good to know
- The bylaw gives no fixed number of days to comply; the notice sets it. A notice can be appealed to the Director within 5 days.
- Metal storage containers and alien invasive plants are also restricted.
- The ticket is $500 for unsightly real property, accumulation of rubbish or failing to remove it, under Bylaw 4573 Schedule A. Boulevard offences are $200.
- Dumped garbage on public land can be reported through the City's E-Services page.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Harrison Hot Springs · Kent · Abbotsford · Mission · Hope · Township of Langley
Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Property Maintenance, City of Chilliwack (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Enforcement, City of Chilliwack (read 2026-11-05)
- Community Standards Bylaw, No. 5041 (PDF) (consolidated to May 2, 2023) (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 4573 (PDF) (consolidated April 21, 2026) (read 2026-11-05)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.