--- title: Township of Langley unsightly property rules and how to report question: "How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in the Township of Langley?" place: Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/langley-township category: Bylaws, noise and complaints owner: municipal owner_body: Township of Langley sources_read: 2026-11-06 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/unsightly-property/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/unsightly-property.json" --- # Township of Langley unsightly property rules and how to report **Question:** How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in the Township of Langley? **Short answer:** In the Township of Langley (not the City of Langley), use the online bylaw complaint form to report an unsightly or overgrown property. You must give your name, address and phone and live within 500 metres; anonymous complaints are not accepted. Unsightly property is a $500 bylaw notice. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Township of Langley, https://www.tol.ca) **Cost:** Bylaw notices: unsightly property $500; leaning fence $200; vehicle, boat, trailer or RV on front-yard landscaping $200; noxious weeds $250; grass over 20 cm $200; graffiti $500. **How long:** Not stated. The Township first seeks voluntary compliance and sets no fixed notice period for unsightly property. **Where:** - Phone: Bylaw Enforcement, 604-532-7551 (bylaw@tol.ca; Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) - Online: Report a Complaint (online bylaw complaint form), https://www.tol.ca/en/services/report-a-complaint.aspx ## Key facts - **What counts:** Owners and occupants must not allow: the property to become or stay unsightly (an accumulation of rubbish or discarded materials); piles of cut branches, unstacked firewood, dirt or uncontained compost; construction material not in reasonable use for over 15 days (unless not visible from other property); stored discarded materials, rubbish, wrecked vehicles or household items visible from other property; a leaning or collapsed fence; a vehicle, boat, trailer or RV parked on front-yard landscaping visible from other property. Also noxious weeds, uncontrolled growth, and grass or ground cover over 20 cm (not on lawful agricultural land), and graffiti. - Source: [Community Standards Bylaw 2019 No. 5448, Parts 3, 4 and 5](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/Other-Bylaws/Community-Standards-Bylaw-(No.5448%29.pdf) - Official wording: "“Unsightly” means an accumulation of Rubbish or other Discarded Materials." … "a fence or wood ties to be leaning or collapsed on the Property;" … "grass, weeds or other similar ground cover to be over 20 centimeters in height," … "place Graffiti, or cause or permit Graffiti to be placed on private Property" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **How to report:** Use the online Bylaw complaint form. Private-property complaints must be in writing or on the form with your name, address and phone number, and you must live within 500 metres. Anonymous complaints are not accepted. Phone 604-532-7551 is for other bylaw matters. Stratas: strata bylaws apply first. - Source: [Report a Complaint](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/report-a-complaint.aspx) - Official wording: "you must reside within a 500 metre radius of an alleged violator" … "The Township of Langley does not accept anonymous complaints." … "please complete the form below or call the Bylaw Enforcement Department at 604-532-7551." … "all private property (i.e. property/land owned by a private person and not a public body) complaints must be made in writing or by completing the form below, which must contain your name, address, phone number, and you must reside within a 500 metre radius of an alleged violator." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **What happens next:** The Township first seeks voluntary compliance (education, warnings, a reasonable time to comply). If not resolved it may send a further letter with more time, offer a meeting, then issue bylaw notices or take legal action. It can skip steps and ticket at once. - Source: [Bylaw Enforcement Policy 08-108, Policy 5.4 and 5.5](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/08-108-Bylaw-Enforcement.pdf) - Official wording: "The Township promotes an enforcement philosophy that seeks voluntary" … "may provide for a further allowable time frame for compliance, and will" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Fine:** Bylaw notices: unsightly property, yard-waste accumulation, construction material, or stored discarded materials $500 each; leaning fence $200; vehicle, boat, trailer or RV on front-yard landscaping $200; noxious weeds or uncontrolled growth $250; ground cover over 20 cm $200; graffiti on property $500; failing to remove graffiti $200. - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2008 No. 4703, Schedule A, Community Standards Bylaw](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/Other-Bylaws/Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-Bylaw-2008-(No.-4703%29.pdf) - Official wording: "Allow Property to become or remain" … "Allow fence or wood ties to be leaning" … "Permit growth of Noxious Weeds" … "Permit ground cover to exceed 20 cm" … "Fail to remove Graffiti from private" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** Community Standards Bylaw 2019, No. 5448. - Source: [Property Use Regulations, Unsightly properties](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/property-use-regulations.aspx) - Official wording: "Part 2 of the community standards bylaw 2019 No. 5448 defines Unsightly" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works The [Community Standards Bylaw 2019 No. 5448]() (Parts 3 to 5) says owners and occupants must not let a property become or stay unsightly. That covers rubbish and discarded materials, piles of cut branches, unstacked firewood, dirt or uncontained compost, and a leaning or collapsed fence. It also covers noxious weeds, uncontrolled growth and grass or ground cover over 20 cm (not on lawful agricultural land), and graffiti. The Township of Langley is a separate municipality from the City of Langley. ## Steps 1. Use the online bylaw complaint form on the Township's Report a Complaint page. Private-property complaints must be in writing or on the form, with your name, address and phone number, from someone living within 500 metres. 2. For other bylaw matters you can phone Bylaw Enforcement at 604-532-7551. 3. The Township first seeks voluntary compliance (education, warnings, a reasonable time to comply). If that fails it may send a further letter, offer a meeting, then issue bylaw notices or take legal action. It can skip steps. ## Good to know - Also covered: construction material not in reasonable use for over 15 days (unless not visible from other property), stored rubbish or wrecked vehicles visible from other property, and a vehicle, boat, trailer or RV on front-yard landscaping visible from other property. - In a strata, strata bylaws apply first. - Bylaw notices: unsightly property, yard-waste accumulation, construction material or stored discarded materials $500 each; failing to remove graffiti $200. No early-payment discount is listed. ## Official forms and pages - [Community Standards Bylaw 2019 No. 5448 (PDF), Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/Other-Bylaws/Community-Standards-Bylaw-(No.5448%29.pdf) - [Report a Complaint, Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/report-a-complaint.aspx) - [Property Use Regulations, Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/property-use-regulations.aspx) - [Bylaw Enforcement Policy 08-108 (PDF), Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/08-108-Bylaw-Enforcement.pdf) - [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2008 No. 4703 (PDF), Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/Other-Bylaws/Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-Bylaw-2008-(No.-4703%29.pdf) ## Related questions - [Township of Langley RV, boat and trailer parking rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Township of Langley noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/noise-rules.md) - [Township of Langley bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/bylaw-fines.md) - [Township of Langley backyard fire and burning rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/backyard-fire.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/unsightly-property.md) - [Langley City](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley/unsightly-property.md) - [Surrey](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/unsightly-property.md) - [White Rock](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/white-rock/unsightly-property.md) - [Maple Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/maple-ridge/unsightly-property.md) - [Port Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/unsightly-property.md) - [Mission](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/unsightly-property.md) ## Sources - [Community Standards Bylaw 2019 No. 5448 (PDF), Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/Other-Bylaws/Community-Standards-Bylaw-(No.5448%29.pdf) (read 2026-11-06) - [Report a Complaint, Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/report-a-complaint.aspx) (read 2026-11-06) - [Property Use Regulations, Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/property-use-regulations.aspx) (read 2026-11-06) - [Bylaw Enforcement Policy 08-108 (PDF), Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/08-108-Bylaw-Enforcement.pdf) (read 2026-11-06) - [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2008 No. 4703 (PDF), Township of Langley](https://www.tol.ca/en/services/resources/bylaw-services/bylaws/Other-Bylaws/Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-Bylaw-2008-(No.-4703%29.pdf) (read 2026-11-06) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. 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