{"title":"Kent unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Kent?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/kent","name":"Kent","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 Kent","url":"https://www.kentbc.ca"},"short_answer":"In Kent, report an unsightly property with the online Report a Concern form or by calling District Hall at 604-796-2235. An officer can order the owner to clean up, and if it is not done the District can do it and charge the owner.","aliases":["overgrown lot kent bc","unsightly premises agassiz","messy yard complaint kent","long grass bylaw kent"],"cost":"No ticket amount set; the bylaw refers to court penalties. If the District clears the property, it charges the owner.","how_long":"The order to comply usually gives 21 days.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"District of Kent Municipal Hall (bylaw enforcement)","value":"604-796-2235","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005 (PDF)","url":"https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf"},{"title":"Bylaw Enforcement, District of Kent","url":"https://www.kentbc.ca/living-here/bylaw-enforcement/"}],"related":[{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Kent bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kent/bylaw-fines/"},{"slug":"noise-rules","title":"Kent noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kent/noise-rules/"},{"slug":"backyard-fire","title":"Kent backyard fire and burning rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kent/backyard-fire/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/harrison-hot-springs","name":"Harrison Hot Springs","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/harrison-hot-springs/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/chilliwack","name":"Chilliwack","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chilliwack/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/hope","name":"Hope","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hope/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/abbotsford","name":"Abbotsford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/abbotsford/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/mission","name":"Mission","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/maple-ridge","name":"Maple Ridge","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/maple-ridge/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":"Owners and occupiers must not let property become unsightly: stored building materials without a permit, goods for sale without a business licence, wrecked or unlicensed vehicles, outdoor stored solid fuel (not firewood), dead or overgrown landscaping, or grass over 20 cm (8 inches). Also banned: unwholesome matter, litter and graffiti.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf","title":"District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005 (PDF)","section":"ss. 1, 3-5, 11","quotes":["landscaping that is dead or characterized by uncontrolled growth","grass that is of a height in excess of 20 centimetres (8 inches)","No person shall litter."]},{"url":"https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf","title":"District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005 (PDF)","section":"s. 12","quotes":["A person must not place graffiti on walls, fences, or elsewhere on or adjacent to a public place."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Use the online Report a Concern form (unsightly property is listed), or call District Hall at 604-796-2235.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.kentbc.ca/living-here/bylaw-enforcement/","title":"Bylaw Enforcement, District of Kent","section":"Bylaw Enforcement","quotes":["unsightly property","Use this form to report your concern directly to District Hall Staff.","Phone: 604-796-2235"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"A bylaw enforcement officer serves an order to comply giving 21 days (or another reasonable time). The owner may appeal to Council by written notice at least 72 hours before the deadline. If not done, the District may clear the property at the owner's cost; unpaid charges on December 31 are added to property taxes.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf","title":"District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005 (PDF)","section":"s. 13","quotes":["requires the person to remove the offending material from the real property within 21 days of service of such order to comply","at least 72 hours prior to the expiration of the time given in the order to comply"]},{"url":"https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf","title":"District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005 (PDF)","section":"s. 13(e)(iii)","quotes":["form part of the taxes payable on such property, as taxes in arrears"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"Kent's own ticket bylaws are referred to but are not posted.","sources":[]},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"The District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf","title":"District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005 (PDF)","section":"s. 17","quotes":["The District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318,2005"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":0,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nKent's [Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw 1318](<https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf>) says owners and occupiers must not let property become unsightly. That includes stored building materials without a permit, goods for sale without a business licence, wrecked or unlicensed vehicles, outdoor stored solid fuel (not firewood), dead or overgrown landscaping, and grass over 20 cm (8 inches). Unwholesome matter, litter and graffiti are also banned. It applies where the property is visible from a public road or adjacent properties, and not where zoning expressly permits the use.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Use the online Report a Concern form (unsightly property is listed), or call District Hall at 604-796-2235.\n2. A bylaw enforcement officer can serve an order to comply, giving 21 days or another reasonable time.\n3. The owner may appeal to Council by written notice at least 72 hours before the deadline.\n4. If the work is not done, the District may clear the property at the owner's cost. Unpaid charges on December 31 are added to property taxes.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- A breach is an offence on summary conviction. No ticket amount is set, and Kent's own ticket bylaws are referred to but not posted.","sources":[{"url":"https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/kentbc-ca/media/zi1m5yji/bylaw1318.pdf","title":"District of Kent Unsightly Premises and Unwholesome Matter Bylaw No. 1318, 2005 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.kentbc.ca/living-here/bylaw-enforcement/","title":"Bylaw Enforcement, District of Kent","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 5 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kent/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kent/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kent/unsightly-property.json"}}