---
title: Colwood unsightly property rules and how to report
question: "How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Colwood?"
place: Colwood, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/colwood
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Colwood
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/unsightly-property/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/unsightly-property.json"
---

# Colwood unsightly property rules and how to report

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

**Short answer:** Report an unsightly or overgrown property to the City of Colwood through the Action Request form (choose BYLAW), by email to bylaw@colwood.ca, or by calling Bylaw Services at 250-478-5999 local 146. Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715 covers rubbish, graffiti and untended growth.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Colwood, https://www.colwood.ca)  
**Cost:** Bylaw notice $100 for most offences, $500 for graffiti ($80 and $400 if paid within 14 days). Municipal ticket $100 and $500. The City can also bill the owner for clean-up.  
**Where:**
- Online: Action Request (choose BYLAW), https://www.colwood.ca/action-request
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 250-478-5999 local 146
- Email: Bylaw Services, bylaw@colwood.ca

## Key facts

- **What counts:** Owners and occupiers must not let rubbish, filth or discarded materials collect on their land, overflow or pile up around containers, or leave graffiti; property must not become unsightly; and they must clear untended brush, trees, noxious weeds and other growth so it is kept to the neighbourhood standard. Unsightly includes building-material piles (unless permitted or enclosed) and vehicle bodies and parts.
  - Source: [Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715, 2003 (consolidated to July 21, 2022), s. 3, 4, 5, 6](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/175)
  - Official wording: "cause or permit water, rubbish, noxious, offensive or unwholesome matter to collect or accumulate on" … "cause or permit rubbish to overflow from or accumulate around any container." … "No owner or occupier of real property or their agents shall allow such property to become or to remain" … "Every owner or occupier of real property or their agents shall clear the property of untended brush, trees," … "including but not limited to vehicle bodies and parts"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **How to report:** Use the City's online Action Request form and choose BYLAW (it covers unsightly premises), or email bylaw@colwood.ca or call Bylaw Services at 250-478-5999 local 146.
  - Source: [Action Request](https://www.colwood.ca/action-request)
  - Official wording: "Choose BYLAW for: Parking, Noise, Burning, Blasting, Unsightly premises"
  - Source: [Bylaw Services](https://www.colwood.ca/contact-us/bylaw-services)
  - Official wording: "Email: bylaw@colwood.ca Phone: 2504785999"
  - Source: [Contact Us](https://www.colwood.ca/city-hall/contact-us)
  - Official wording: "Bylaw Services: 250-478-5999 Local 146"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **What happens next:** The bylaw lets the City enter the property and remove the unsightly material at the owner's or occupier's expense if they do not comply. Unpaid costs on December 31 of that year are added to the property taxes as taxes in arrears. A bylaw officer may also issue a ticket.
  - Source: [Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715, 2003 (consolidated to July 21, 2022), s. 7(b), 7(c), 8](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/175)
  - Official wording: "Where a person fails to comply with a requirement under (a), the City may by its employees or other" … "effect the removal" … "the cost shall be added to and form part of the" … "taxes payable on the property as taxes in arrears."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: rubbish offences (s. 4), allowing unsightly property and failing to clear unsightly growth $100 ($80 within 14 days, $120 after 28 days); graffiti $500 ($400 / $500). Municipal ticket: $100 and $500.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1911, 2021 (consolidated to March 9, 2026), Schedule B, Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/187475)
  - Official wording: "Allow Unsightly Property" … "Allow Unsightly Property 5(b) $100.00 $80.00 $120.00" … "Place graffiti 5(a) $500.00 $400.00 $500.00"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1314, 2010 (consolidated to April 8, 2022), Schedule 13](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1091)
  - Official wording: "Allow unsightly property" … "$1000 per tree" … "Place graffiti 5(a) $500"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715, 2003
  - Source: [Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715, 2003 (consolidated to July 21, 2022), s. 1](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/175)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715, 2003.”"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The City's [Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/175) says owners and occupiers must not let rubbish, filth or discarded materials collect on their land, overflow or pile up around containers, or leave graffiti. They must clear untended brush, trees, noxious weeds and other growth so the property is kept to the neighbourhood standard. Piles of building materials (unless permitted or enclosed) and vehicle bodies and parts count as unsightly, and "refuse" includes unlicensed, unused or stripped vehicles, trailers and boats.

## Steps

1. Note the address and what you see (photos help).
2. Submit an Action Request and choose BYLAW, or email bylaw@colwood.ca, or call Bylaw Services at 250-478-5999 local 146.

## Good to know

- The bylaw sets no notice period or time to comply.
- If an owner or occupier does not comply, the City may enter the property, remove the material and charge them. Costs unpaid on December 31 of that year are added to the property taxes. A bylaw officer may also issue a ticket.
- The [Nuisance Abatement and Cost Recovery Bylaw No. 2002](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/257040) separately treats an ongoing unsightly premises as a nuisance. The City can abate it after a direction from Council and invoice the costs (Bylaw Enforcement is $250 per attendance).
- Fines: a bylaw notice is $100 ($80 within 14 days, $120 after 28 days) for rubbish offences, allowing unsightly property or failing to clear growth, and $500 for graffiti ($400 / $500). A municipal ticket is $100 or $500. On conviction the maximum fine is $2,000, and each day is a separate offence.

## Official forms and pages

- [Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715 (PDF)](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/175)
- [Nuisance Abatement and Cost Recovery Bylaw No. 2002 (PDF)](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/257040)

## Related questions

- [Colwood bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/unsightly-property.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/unsightly-property.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/unsightly-property.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/unsightly-property.md)
- [Victoria](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/unsightly-property.md)
- [Metchosin](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/unsightly-property.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/unsightly-property.md)

## Sources

- [Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 715, 2003 (consolidated to July 21, 2022) (PDF), City of Colwood](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/175) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Nuisance Abatement and Cost Recovery Bylaw No. 2002 (PDF), City of Colwood](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/257040) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1911, 2021 (consolidated to March 9, 2026) (PDF), City of Colwood](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/187475) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1314, 2010 (consolidated to April 8, 2022) (PDF), City of Colwood](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1091) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Action Request, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/action-request) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Services, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/contact-us/bylaw-services) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Contact Us, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/city-hall/contact-us) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Colwood. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/unsightly-property/_