--- title: Lake Cowichan unsightly property rules and how to report question: "How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Lake Cowichan?" place: Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/lake-cowichan category: Bylaws, noise and complaints owner: municipal owner_body: Town of Lake Cowichan sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/unsightly-property/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/unsightly-property.json" --- # Lake Cowichan unsightly property rules and how to report **Question:** How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Lake Cowichan? **Short answer:** In Lake Cowichan, report an unsightly property with the Town's Bylaw Complaint Form (name, phone, address, details and signature). Under the Unsightly Premises Bylaw an unsightly property is a $500 ticket. Grass used as ground cover must be 20 cm or less. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Lake Cowichan, https://www.lakecowichan.ca) **Cost:** Unsightly property $500; graffiti $250; rubbish accumulation $500; infestation $500; noxious weed $250; maintenance of property $250. **How long:** Not stated. **Where:** - In person: Town Hall, 39 South Shore Road, Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) - Online: Bylaw Complaint Form, https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/Bylaw%20Complaint%20Form%20FILLABLE.pdf (Subjects include unsightly premises; a signature is required.) - Email: Bylaw (non-urgent), bylaw@lakecowichan.ca ## Key facts - **What counts:** An owner or occupant must not let property become or stay unsightly: accumulations of junk, filth, litter, brush, rubbish, garbage or graffiti; broken or rotting fences; dead or uncontrolled landscaping; run-down buildings. Also bans graffiti, accumulating rubbish or water, insect infestations, and requires property clear of brush and noxious weeds. Where grass is ground cover, it must be 20 cm or less. Wrecked or inoperative vehicles, trailers or boats may not be stored unless lawfully permitted. - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021, s. 3, s. 4, s. 5.5, s. 6.4](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1050-2021%20Unsightly%20AMEND.pdf) - Official wording: "No owner or occupant of property within the municipality shall permit or allow" … "the property to become or remain unsightly." … "the accumulation of junk, filth, litter, brush, discarded materials, refuse," … "maintained in a living condition and at a height of not more than 20" … "centimetres." … "wrecked, discarded, dismantled or inoperative" … "Where grass forms part of the ground cover on property, it shall be" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **How to report:** Use the Town's Bylaw Complaint Form (subjects include Unsightly premises); it needs your name, phone, address, details of the complaint and a signature. - Source: [Bylaw Complaint Form, Bylaw Complaint form](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/Bylaw%20Complaint%20Form%20FILLABLE.pdf) - Official wording: "Town of Lake Cowichan Bylaw Complaint form" … "Subject of the Complaint: Dog Complaint Noise Unsightly premises Other" … "Personal information entered on this form is collected under the Community Charter" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **What happens next:** An Inspector may enter and inspect, then serve a notice stating what must be fixed and by when. The owner may appeal within 14 days to the Finance and Administration Committee. If not fixed, the Town may do the work at the owner's cost plus a 15% administrative fee; unpaid costs are added to property taxes as arrears if not paid by December 31. - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021, s. 14, 15, 16, 17, Schedule A](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1050-2021%20Unsightly%20AMEND.pdf) - Official wording: "An Inspector shall have the right to enter upon the property of any person at" … "within 14 days of the" … "service of the notice, for a hearing by the Town’s Finance and" … "an Administrative Fee of 15% on invoice." … "before the 31st day of December in the year that the compliance" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine:** Unsightly property $500; graffiti $250; rubbish accumulation $500; infestation $500; noxious weed $250; maintenance of property $250. - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021, Schedule A](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1050-2021%20Unsightly%20AMEND.pdf) - Official wording: "to Bylaw No. 1050-2021 SECTION FINE 1. Permit unsightly property 4.1 $ 500.00 2. Place graffiti 4.2 $ 250.00 3. Permit accumulation of rubbish 4.3 and 4.4 $ 500.00" … "4. Permit infestation 4.5 $ 500.00 5. Permit noxious weed 4.5 $ 250.00 6. Maintenance of property 5.0 $ 250.00" … "5. Permit noxious weed 4.5 $ 250.00 6. Maintenance of property 5.0 $ 250.00 When work is effected by the Town to ensure compliance under this bylaw, the offender" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Town of Lake Cowichan Property Maintenance and the Prohibition of Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021 (amended by 1120-2025). - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021, s. 1](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1050-2021%20Unsightly%20AMEND.pdf) - Official wording: "Property Maintenance and the Prohibition of Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021" - Source: [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021, Heading](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1050-2021%20Unsightly%20AMEND.pdf) - Official wording: "BYLAW NO. 1050-2021 AMENDMENT 1120-2025 A BYLAW TO PROHIBIT UNSIGHTLINESS IN THE TOWN OF LAKE COWICHAN" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021]() (amended by Bylaw 1120-2025) says an owner or occupant must not let property become or stay unsightly. That includes accumulations of junk, filth, litter, brush, rubbish, garbage or graffiti; broken or rotting fences; dead or uncontrolled landscaping; and run-down buildings. ## Steps 1. Fill in the Bylaw Complaint Form, choosing "Unsightly premises" as the subject. It needs your name, phone, address, details of the complaint and a signature. 2. An Inspector may enter and inspect, then serve a notice stating what must be fixed and by when. 3. The owner may appeal within 14 days to the Finance and Administration Committee. ## Good to know - Where grass is ground cover, it must be 20 cm or less. Property must be clear of brush and noxious weeds. - Wrecked or inoperative vehicles, trailers or boats may not be stored unless lawfully permitted. - If the work is not done, the Town may do it at the owner's cost plus a 15% administrative fee. Unpaid costs are added to property taxes as arrears if not paid by December 31. - Tickets: unsightly property $500; graffiti $250; rubbish accumulation $500; infestation $500; noxious weed $250; maintenance of property $250. ## Official forms and pages - [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1050-2021%20Unsightly%20AMEND.pdf) - [Bylaw Complaint Form (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/Bylaw%20Complaint%20Form%20FILLABLE.pdf) ## Related questions - [Lake Cowichan noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/noise-rules.md) - [Lake Cowichan garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/garbage-collection.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/unsightly-property.md) - [Ladysmith](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ladysmith/unsightly-property.md) - [Duncan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/duncan/unsightly-property.md) - [North Cowichan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/unsightly-property.md) - [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/unsightly-property.md) - [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/unsightly-property.md) - [North Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/unsightly-property.md) ## Sources - [Property Maintenance and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1050-2021 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/1050-2021%20Unsightly%20AMEND.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Bylaw Complaint Form (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/Bylaw%20Complaint%20Form%20FILLABLE.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) _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 Town of Lake Cowichan. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/unsightly-property/_