New Westminster unsightly property rules and how to report
How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in New Westminster?
Short answer
In New Westminster, owners and occupiers must keep property free of rubbish, graffiti and overgrown weeds or grass under the Unsightly Premises Bylaw. The City's Bylaw Enforcement page lists no separate report form; call its general inquiries line at 604-527-4657.
Key facts
| What counts | An owner or occupier must not let property become or stay untidy or unsightly; must remove accumulations of filth, discarded materials or rubbish; must keep it cleared of brush, noxious weeds, wild grass and other untended growth; must keep waste and rubbish from accumulating around it; and must keep adjacent walls and fences free of graffiti.Unsightly Premises Bylaw 5969, 1991 (consolidated March 23, 1999), s. 3-5; Unsightly Premises Bylaw 5969, 1991 (consolidated March 23, 1999), s. 7-8 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo owner or occupier of real property shall allow that property to become Every owner and occupier of real property shall remove any accumulation brush, noxious weeds, wild grass and other untended growths Every owner and occupier of real property shall maintain any wall, No owner or occupier of real property shall cause or permit waste, rubbish |
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| How to report | The City's Bylaw Enforcement page lists General Inquiries at 604-527-4657. It gives no separate form or email for unsightly property.Bylaw Enforcement, Bylaw Enforcement page contact · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingGeneral Inquiries Phone: 604-527-4657 |
| What happens next | If an owner or occupier does not comply with ss. 3, 4, 5 or 7, the Administrative Services Officer or Secondary Suites Co-ordinator may give written notice to comply within 10 days of delivery. If they do not, the City may enter and remove the material at the owner's expense. Unpaid costs on December 31 are added to property taxes.Unsightly Premises Bylaw 5969, 1991 (consolidated March 23, 1999), s. 9; Unsightly Premises Bylaw 5969, 1991 (consolidated March 23, 1999), s. 11 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingmay give written notice to that person to comply within 10 days of the the City may, by its employees or contractors, enter the property the charge shall be added to form part of the taxes payable on the property as taxes in |
| Fine | Bylaw notice: unsightly premises or untended growth $200 first offence ($150 if paid within 14 days; $225 late), $400 repeat. Municipal ticket information: $1,000. Graffiti: placing $200; permitting it $250 by bylaw notice; $1,000 ticket.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7318, 2009 (consolidated July 29, 2026), Sch. A Part 24; Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw 8077, 2019 (consolidated July 29, 2026), Sch. B Part 24 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingUnsightly premises - first offence 200.00 150.00 225.00 YES - repeat offence 400.00 350.00 425.00 NO Fail to remove untended growth - first offence 200.00 150.00 225.00 YES Unsightly premises – first offence Fail to remove untended growth Permitting graffiti 250.00 200.00 275.00 No. 5969, 1991 3 Unsightly premises 1,000.00 5969, 1991 5 Fail to remove untended growth 1,000.00 |
| Bylaw | Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 5969, 1991Unsightly Premises Bylaw 5969, 1991 (consolidated March 23, 1999), s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis Bylaw may be cited as “Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 5969, 1991”. |
How it works
Under the City of New Westminster's Unsightly Premises Bylaw 5969, an owner or occupier must not let property become or stay untidy or unsightly. They must remove accumulations of filth, discarded materials and rubbish, keep the property cleared of brush, noxious weeds, wild grass and other untended growth, keep waste from accumulating around it, and keep adjacent walls and fences free of graffiti. Depositing bottles, broken glass or rubbish in any open place, and placing graffiti, are also banned.
Steps
- Note the address and what the problem is (garbage, overgrowth, graffiti).
- Call the City's Bylaw Enforcement general inquiries line at 604-527-4657. The City's page gives no separate form or email for this.
- An officer may give the owner written notice to comply within 10 days of delivery. If the owner does not, the City may enter and remove the material at the owner's expense. Unpaid costs on December 31 are added to the property taxes.
Good to know
- Bylaw notice: unsightly premises or untended growth is $200 for a first offence ($150 if paid within 14 days) and $400 for a repeat. Graffiti: placing it is $200 and permitting it is $250. A municipal ticket is $1,000.
- The bylaw's officer titles date from 1999 and may be out of date.
- Illegal dumping on City land and boulevard upkeep are separate; see those pages.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Burnaby · Coquitlam · Port Coquitlam · Port Moody · Belcarra · Surrey
Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Bylaw Enforcement, City of New Westminster (read 2026-11-05)
- Unsightly Premises Bylaw 5969, 1991 (consolidated March 23, 1999) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7318, 2009 (consolidated July 29, 2026) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw 8077, 2019 (consolidated July 29, 2026) (PDF) (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.