{"title":"Maple Ridge unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/maple-ridge","name":"Maple Ridge","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":"City of Maple Ridge","url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca"},"short_answer":"In Maple Ridge, report garbage, debris, overgrown grass or brush, noxious weeds or graffiti on a neighbouring property to the City's Bylaw, Licensing and Community Safety department online at mapleridge.ca/report or at 604-467-7305. An officer can order the owner to fix it.","aliases":["overgrown lawn complaint maple ridge","untidy premises maple ridge","garbage on neighbour property maple ridge","blackberry bushes neighbour maple ridge","graffiti maple ridge"],"cost":"Untidy or unsightly premises or graffiti: $300 bylaw notice ($250 within 14 days, $350 after 28 days). Overgrowth: $200.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"online","label":"Bylaw complaint form","value":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/form/bylaw-complaint-form"},{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw, Licensing and Community Safety","value":"604-467-7305"},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaws","value":"Bylaws@MapleRidge.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007 (PDF)","url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/untidy-unsightly-premises-bylaw-no-6533-2007"}],"related":[{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Maple Ridge bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/maple-ridge/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/pitt-meadows","name":"Pitt Meadows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pitt-meadows/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-coquitlam","name":"Port Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/coquitlam","name":"Coquitlam","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/anmore","name":"Anmore","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/anmore/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langley-township","name":"Township of Langley","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-moody","name":"Port Moody","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-moody/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":"An owner or occupier must not let property become or stay untidy or unsightly, or allow graffiti. Unsightly includes accumulated junk, litter, brush, rubbish or derelict vehicles; broken or rotting fences; dead or neglected landscaping; grass over 30 cm or brush spreading onto neighbours; noxious weeds; and building materials stored over 15 days without a permit.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/untidy-unsightly-premises-bylaw-no-6533-2007","title":"Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007 (consolidated)","section":"s. 2 definitions, 3, 4, 8, 9","quotes":["the accumulation of junk, filth, litter, brush, discarded materials, refuse,","No Owner or Occupier of Property shall cause, permit or allow the Property to become or","No Owner or Occupier of Property shall cause permit or allow Graffiti on the Property.","overgrown with any grasses in excess of 30 centimetres in height or brush of any","accumulation of building materials on"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Online at mapleridge.ca/report, by phone at 604-467-7305, by email at bylaws@mapleridge.ca, by mail or in person. Give your full name, home address and phone, the property address and details. Anonymous complaints are not accepted; limit of three non-recurring complaints per complainant property per calendar year.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/community-safety/bylaw-enforcement","title":"Bylaw Enforcement, City of Maple Ridge","section":"How to File a Bylaw Complaint","quotes":["You may submit a complaint online, over the phone at 604-467-7305, by email at bylaws@mapleridge.ca by regular mail or in person","There is a limit of three (3) non-recurring complaints per complainant property, per calendar year."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"An officer may serve an order to fix the problem within 30, 14 or 7 days (7 if the officer believes it is a nuisance), sent by express mail to the owner and posted on the property if the premises are occupied. If not done, the City may do the work and recover the cost as property taxes. The owner has 5 days to ask Council to review the order.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/untidy-unsightly-premises-bylaw-no-6533-2007","title":"Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007 (consolidated)","section":"s. 10","quotes":["Within 30 days or,","Within 7 days if the Bylaw Enforcement Officer believes the contravention is a","at the expense of the Owner or Occupier","within 5 days of the posting or mailing of the Notice","This notice must also be posted on the subject property if there is an occupied premise."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"$300 bylaw notice for untidy or unsightly premises (s. 3) or graffiti (s. 4): $250 if paid within 14 days, $350 after 28 days; a compliance agreement is available. Overgrowth (s. 8) is $200. Municipal tickets list the same $300 and $200.","short":"Notice $300 ($250 if paid within 14 days)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/bylaw-notice-enforcement-consolidated-bylaw-no-7626-2020","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement (Consolidated) Bylaw No. 7626-2020, Schedule A","section":"Schedule A, Part 32","quotes":["6533-2007 3 Untidy/Unsightly Premises $300 $250 $350 Yes","6533-2007 8 Overgrowth $200 $150 $250 Yes"]},{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/ticket-information-utilization-bylaw-no-6929-2012-consolidated","title":"Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 6929-2012 (Consolidated) (PDF)","section":"Schedule 31","quotes":["Untidy/Unsightly Premises 3 $300","Overgrowth 8 $200"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Regulation of Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/untidy-unsightly-premises-bylaw-no-6533-2007","title":"Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007 (consolidated)","section":"citation","quotes":["Regulation of Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Regulation of Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007](https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/untidy-unsightly-premises-bylaw-no-6533-2007) says an owner or occupier must not let property become or stay untidy or unsightly, or allow graffiti. Unsightly includes accumulated junk, litter, brush, rubbish or derelict vehicles; broken or rotting fences; dead or neglected landscaping; grass over 30 cm or brush spreading onto neighbours; noxious weeds; and building materials stored over 15 days without a permit. Containers must also be adequate, closed and not overflowing.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Report online at mapleridge.ca/report, by phone at 604-467-7305, by email at bylaws@mapleridge.ca, by mail or in person.\n2. Give your full name, home address and phone, plus the property address and details. Anonymous complaints are not accepted.\n3. An officer may serve an order to fix the problem within 30, 14 or 7 days (7 if the officer believes it is a nuisance). It is sent by express mail to the owner and posted on the property if the premises are occupied.\n4. If the work is not done, the City may do it and recover the cost as property taxes.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Each complainant property is limited to three non-recurring complaints per calendar year.\n- The owner has 5 days to ask Council to review the order.\n- Fines: untidy or unsightly premises or graffiti is a $300 bylaw notice, and a compliance agreement is available. Overgrowth is $200. Municipal tickets list the same $300 and $200.\n- A court can impose a penalty of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/untidy-unsightly-premises-bylaw-no-6533-2007","title":"Untidy and Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 6533-2007 (consolidated)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/community-safety/bylaw-enforcement","title":"Bylaw Enforcement, City of Maple Ridge","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/bylaw-notice-enforcement-consolidated-bylaw-no-7626-2020","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement (Consolidated) Bylaw No. 7626-2020, Schedule A","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/ticket-information-utilization-bylaw-no-6929-2012-consolidated","title":"Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 6929-2012 (Consolidated) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","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/maple-ridge/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/maple-ridge/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/maple-ridge/unsightly-property.json"}}