Kimberley unsightly property rules and how to report
How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Kimberley?
Short answer
Send the City of Kimberley's Bylaw Enforcement Officer a written complaint with your name, address, phone number and the property's location. Under the Good Neighbour Bylaw, owners and occupiers must not let property become unsightly, and grass and weeds over 10 cm are banned.
Key facts
| What counts | Owners and occupiers must not let property become or stay unsightly: graffiti, accumulated filth, rubbish or discarded materials, untidy building materials, dead or uncontrolled landscaping, derelict vehicles or structures, standing water, pests. Grass and weeds over 10 cm are banned.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2671, 2020, ss. 8.1, 8.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo Owner or Occupier of Real Property shall cause, suffer or permit: the property to become or remain unsightly; any Derelict Vehicle to be placed, parked, or stored on the property, unless No Owner or Occupier of Real Property shall allow Grass or weeds on his or her Real Property to exceed a height of 10 centimetres. |
|---|---|
| How to report | Contact the Bylaw Enforcement Officer, 250-427-9663, bylaw@kimberley.ca. Complaints (except urgent safety risks) must be in writing with your name, address, phone, and the nature and specific location of the problem. Anonymous complaints will not be investigated.Bylaw Enforcement, How to make a Complaint · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingAll complaints must include the name, address and phone number of the complainant Anonymous complaints will not be investigated. Phone: 250-427-9663 E-mail: bylaw@kimberley.ca |
| What happens next | The Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue a Compliance Order stating what to fix and a deadline. If it is not met, the City may do the work at the owner's expense; unpaid costs after 30 days can be collected as a debt, and unpaid costs on December 31 are added to property taxes. Council reconsideration must be requested within 10 days.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2671, 2020, ss. 10.4, 10.5, 10.9, 10.13 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingthe Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue that person a Compliance Order requiring that person the deadline by which the non-compliance must be remedied; at the expense of Owner, Occupier, if the costs of doing so are not paid within 30 days of the invoice being delivered unpaid by December 31 of the year in which the requirement was fulfilled, ten (1 O days of the Compliance Order being served |
| Fine | Municipal ticket, first / later offence: property to become unsightly $250 / $500; overgrown grass or weeds $100 / $200; graffiti, dumping rubbish or abandoning a vehicle $250 / $500.Municipal Ticket Information Amendment Bylaw No. 2672, 2021, Schedule 9 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingProperty to become unsightly 8.1 $250.00 $500.00 Place Graffiti - public/ private property 8.2 (a) $250.00 $500.00 Deposit rubbish etc on public/ private property 8.2 (b) $250.00 $500.00 A.bandon vehicle 8.2 (c) $250.00 $500.00 8.7 $100.00 $200.00 |
| Bylaw | City of Kimberley Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2671, 2020Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2671, 2020, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingCity of Kimberley Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2671, 2020 |
How it works
The Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2671, 2020 says owners and occupiers must not let property become or stay unsightly. That includes graffiti, accumulated filth, rubbish or discarded materials, untidy building materials, dead or uncontrolled landscaping, derelict vehicles or structures, standing water and pests. Grass and weeds over 10 cm are banned, except in xeriscaped areas.
Steps
- Note the property address and what is wrong. The City suggests neighbours first try to resolve issues themselves.
- Send a written complaint to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at bylaw@kimberley.ca, with your name, address, phone number, and the nature and specific location of the problem. Except for urgent safety risks, complaints must be in writing. Anonymous complaints are not investigated.
- The City's stated approach is voluntary compliance first, through communication and education. Written warnings, municipal tickets, orders and prosecution are also available.
Good to know
- The officer may issue a Compliance Order saying what to fix and by when. If it is not met, the City may do the work at the owner's expense. Unpaid costs after 30 days can be collected as a debt, and costs unpaid on December 31 are added to property taxes.
- Council reconsideration of an order must be requested within 10 days.
- Industrial or commercial sites may keep accumulations their business requires if they are screened.
- Municipal tickets, first or later offence: unsightly property $250 or $500; overgrown grass or weeds $100 or $200; graffiti, dumping rubbish or abandoning a vehicle $250 or $500.
- Officers may enter property at reasonable times to inspect.
What you'll need
- Your name, address and phone number
- The address of the property and what the problem is
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Cranbrook · Canal Flats · Fernie · Creston · Kaslo · Sparwood
Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 2671, 2020 (PDF), City of Kimberley (read 2026-11-05)
- Municipal Ticket Information Amendment Bylaw No. 2672, 2021 (PDF), City of Kimberley (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Enforcement, City of Kimberley (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.