Merritt unsightly property rules and how to report
How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property?
Short answer
To report an unsightly or overgrown property in the City of Merritt, use the City's online Report a Bylaw Infraction form and choose Unsightly Property. A Bylaw Services Officer can order the owner to fix it within 14 days; a first bylaw notice is $100.
Key facts
| What counts | Owners and occupiers must not let property become or stay "unsightly": visible filth, rubbish, graffiti or discarded materials; untidy building materials; dead or uncontrolled vegetation; derelict vehicles; decayed fences or structures. Also banned: unsanitary conditions, standing water, noxious weeds, more than two unlicensed vehicles, vehicle parts, more than one recreational vehicle per dwelling unit (unless fully enclosed), and insect or rodent infestations.Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387, 2024, s. 3.1 Unsightly, s. 10.1, 10.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo owner or occupier of Property shall cause or permit the Property to become or remain Unsightly. more than two unlicensed motor vehicles, except where the Property is zoned for such storage more than one recreational vehicle may be parked per dwelling unit an accumulation of Noxious Weeds landscaping or vegetation that is dead or characterized by uncontrolled growth or lack of maintenance |
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| How to report | Use the "Report a Bylaw Infraction" form on merritt.ca (category Unsightly Property), or call Bylaw Services at 250-378-4224 ext. 216 (bylaw@merritt.ca). Name, home address, complaint location and description are required; an email or phone number is optional, but without one the City may be unable to act.Report a Bylaw Infraction; Contact, Directory · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingproperty concerns such as unsightly properties Providing an email address or phone number is optional; however, without at least one form of contact information, we may be unable to act on your request. Bylaw Services | Phone: | 250-378-4224 ext. 216 |
| What happens next | A Bylaw Services Officer may issue a compliance order giving 14 days from delivery to fix it. If not fixed, the City may enter without further notice, do the work at the owner's or occupier's cost, and add the cost to the property taxes. The order can be reconsidered by Council if requested in writing within 10 days.Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387, 2024, s. 15.2, 17, 19.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmust be remedied within fourteen (14) days of the date of delivery of the notice the cost of such work will be added to the taxes of the real property be submitted in writing to the Director of Corporate Services within: (i) ten calendar days of the compliance order being served |
| Fine | Bylaw notice: $100 for a first offence, $250 second, $450 third ($75, $200, $375 if paid within 14 days; $125, $300, $500 after 28 days). A compliance agreement may be available.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2424, 2026, Schedule A, Good Neighbour Bylaw s. 10.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingCause or permit an unsightly property 10.1 $100.00 for $75.00 for $125.00 Yes |
| Bylaw | City of Merritt Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387, 2024 (Part III, Property Maintenance).Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387, 2024, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis Bylaw shall be cited as “City of Merritt Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387, 2024”. |
How it works
Under the Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387, owners and occupiers in the City of Merritt must not let property become or stay "unsightly". That means visible filth, rubbish, graffiti or discarded materials, untidy building materials, dead or uncontrolled vegetation, derelict vehicles, and decayed fences or structures. The rule applies regardless of the condition of other properties in the neighbourhood.
Steps
- Open the Report a Bylaw Infraction form on merritt.ca.
- Enter your name, home address, the complaint location and a description, and choose Unsightly Property.
- Submit. Or call Bylaw Services at 250-378-4224 ext. 216. An email or phone number is optional, but without one the City may be unable to act.
Good to know
- Also banned: unsanitary conditions, standing water, noxious weeds, more than two unlicensed vehicles, vehicle parts, more than one recreational vehicle per dwelling unit (unless fully enclosed), and insect or rodent infestations.
- A Bylaw Services Officer may issue a compliance order giving 14 days from delivery to fix it. If it is not fixed, the City may enter without further notice, do the work at the owner's or occupier's cost, and add the cost to the property taxes.
- A compliance order can be reconsidered by Council if requested in writing within 10 days.
- A property with more than three nuisance service calls in 12 months can be declared a Nuisance Property.
- Bylaw notices under Bylaw 2424: $100 first offence, $250 second, $450 third ($75, $200, $375 if paid within 14 days; $125, $300, $500 after 28 days).
- Owners and occupiers must also clear snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of residential property within 24 hours.
What you'll need
- Your name and home address (required by the form)
- The location of the property and a description of the problem
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Logan Lake · Lytton · Kamloops · Princeton · Ashcroft · Peachland
Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Good Neighbour Bylaw 2387, 2024 (PDF), City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2424, 2026 (PDF), City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)
- Report a Bylaw Infraction, City of Merritt (read 2026-11-05)
- Contact, City of Merritt (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.