{"title":"Houston unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Houston?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/houston","name":"Houston","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"bylaws-and-complaints","name":"Bylaws, noise and complaints"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"District of Houston","url":"https://houston.ca"},"short_answer":"In Houston, report an unsightly property through the District's online Service Request Portal. The Nuisance Bylaw covers unsightly premises such as discarded materials, landscape, construction materials, graffiti and derelict fences. The bylaw notice is $150.","aliases":["unsightly property houston","messy yard bylaw houston","overgrown lot houston","report neighbour property houston"],"cost":"Bylaw notice: $150 for each unsightly-premises offence; $112.50 if paid within 14 days; $187.50 after 28 days.","how_long":"Not stated on the District's pages. The Bylaw Enforcement Officer decides whether a complaint is investigated.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Office","value":"3367 12th Street, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed statutory holidays"},{"type":"phone","label":"Municipal Office","value":"250-845-2238","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."},{"type":"online","label":"Service Request Portal (bylaw complaints)","value":"https://houston.ca/community/service-requests/"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114, 2021 (PDF), District of Houston","url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145078/"},{"title":"Service Requests, District of Houston","url":"https://houston.ca/community/service-requests/"}],"related":[{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Houston bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/granisle","name":"Granisle","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/new-hazelton","name":"New Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/terrace","name":"Terrace","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/fraser-lake","name":"Fraser Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/unsightly-property/"}],"topic":{"title":"Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/unsightly-property/"},"facts":{"what_counts":{"label":"What counts","value":"The bylaw notice schedule lists these unsightly-premises offences under Nuisance Bylaw s. 10: discarded materials, landscape, construction materials, graffiti on property and derelict fences. It also lists air contamination (s. 11) and public nuisances such as littering and placing graffiti (s. 13).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/144929/","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment Bylaw No. 1230, 2026, Schedule A (PDF), District of Houston","section":"Schedule A, Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114, s. 10","quotes":["Nuisance Bylaw No.1114, 2 - Unsightly Premises Discarded 10 (1 Materials $150.00 $112.50 $187.50 Yes 7","Landscape $150-00 $112.50 $187.50 Yes 7 Unsightl Premises Construction Materials 5150-00 $112.50 $187.50 Yes - Graf?ti on nUstigth Premiss","Residential/Commercial $150.00 - - Public Nuisances Smoking 13 (1 $150.00 $112.50 $187.50 Yes H 7 V"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Submit a bylaw complaint through the District's online Service Request Portal. Include your name, address and contact information, your relationship to the property, and the location and description of the issue.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/service-requests/","title":"Service Requests, District of Houston","section":"About; What to Include in Your Complaint","quotes":["The District of Houston offers an online Service Request Portal for submitting service requests, inquiries, and bylaw complaints.","Your name, address, and contact information as the official complainant,","The location and description of the issue."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"The Nuisance Bylaw lets the District charge the owner for nuisance abatement: $50 per staff attendance plus actual cost, vehicle use at actual cost plus 10%, and $30 for a repeat service call.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145078/","title":"Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114, 2021 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"Part 5, s. 41","quotes":["a) Nuisance Abatement per staff attendance $50.00 + Actual Cost","b) Repeat Service Call per attendance $30.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: $150 for each unsightly-premises offence; $112.50 if paid within 14 days; $187.50 after 28 days.","short":"Notice $150 ($112.50 within 14 days)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/144929/","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment Bylaw No. 1230, 2026, Schedule A (PDF), District of Houston","section":"Schedule A, Nuisance Bylaw, s. 10(1) to (5)","quotes":["Unsightly Premises Discarded 10 (1 Materials $150.00 $112.50 $187.50","10 (4 Property $150.00 $112.50 $187.50"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114, 2021, s. 10 (unsightly premises).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145078/","title":"Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114, 2021 (PDF), District of Houston","section":"PART 5, Citation","quotes":["This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as \"Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114, 2021\"."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnsightly premises are covered by section 10 of the [Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145078/). The District's bylaw notice schedule lists these offences: discarded materials, landscape, construction materials, graffiti on property and derelict fences. It also lists air contamination and public nuisances such as littering and placing graffiti. The exact wording of section 10 and the time an owner has to comply were not readable in our copy, so ask the Municipal Office.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Submit a bylaw complaint through the Service Request Portal at houston.ca/community/service-requests/.\n2. Include your name, address and contact information, your relationship to the property, and the location and description of the issue.\n3. Or call the Municipal Office at 250-845-2238.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The Bylaw Enforcement Officer decides whether a complaint is investigated. The District says the officer seeks compliance by education and communication first, then tickets or other action.\n- The Nuisance Bylaw lets the District charge the owner for abatement: $50 per staff attendance plus actual cost, vehicle use at actual cost plus 10%, and $30 for a repeat service call.\n- Standards of Maintenance Bylaw No. 1234, 2026 covers the condition of dwellings and rental units, not yards.","sources":[{"url":"https://houston.ca/community/service-requests/","title":"Service Requests, District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145078/","title":"Nuisance Bylaw No. 1114, 2021 (PDF), District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.civicweb.net/document/144929/","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Amendment Bylaw No. 1230, 2026, Schedule A (PDF), District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://houston.ca/contact/","title":"Contact Us, District of Houston","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/unsightly-property.json"}}