Port Coquitlam unsightly property rules and how to report
How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Port Coquitlam?
Short answer
Report it to Port Coquitlam Bylaw Services by online form, email or 604-927-5440. The Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw 4190 requires owners and occupiers to keep grass and weeds under 15 centimetres and to clear rubbish, derelict vehicles and noxious weeds.
Key facts
| What counts | Owners and occupiers must not allow: stored discarded materials, rubbish or derelict vehicles; vehicles, boats, trailers or RVs parked on landscaped areas or in disrepair; grass or weeds over 15 cm; dilapidated buildings or fences; building materials stacked over 15 days a year; noxious weeds; uncontrolled growth, dead trees, unstacked firewood, dirt piles; graffiti; stagnant water.Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw 2020, No. 4190, s. 6.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingthe storage of Discarded Materials, Rubbish, Derelict Vehicles or Motor grass, weeds or similar ground cover to be over 15 centimeters in height; the accumulation of building materials for more than 15 days in a calendar the accumulation or growth of Noxious Weeds; Graffiti to remain on Motor Vehicles, buildings, walls, fences or elsewhere water to collect or accumulate in a pond, swimming pool, hot tub or as |
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| How to report | Contact Bylaw Services: online service request form, email bylawservices@portcoquitlam.ca, phone 604-927-5440, or in person at City Hall, 2580 Shaughnessy St. Give your name, address and phone (anonymous complaints are not accepted), the property address, when you first saw it and a description.Bylaw Services, FAQ · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingBylaw complaints may be made by telephone, email, online, or in person. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted. Address of the property involved Email bylawservices@portcoquitlam.ca Call 604.927.5440 |
| What happens next | An officer may order the owner to fix the property within a time the officer sets. If not done, the City may enter and do the work at the owner's cost; unpaid costs after December 31 can be added to property taxes. The owner may appeal in writing to the Bylaw Services Manager at least 7 days before the deadline, then to Council at least 72 hours before.Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw 2020, No. 4190, s. 8-10 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingthen a Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue an order requiring that an within such time as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer enter the real property and bring about such compliance at the cost of the may be recovered as property taxes in arrears in accordance with Part 14 of the may appeal to the Bylaw Services Manager at least 7 days prior to the expiration of may appeal to Council at least 72 hours prior to the expiration of the time given in the |
| Fine | $250 for most property maintenance offences (stored materials, vehicle storage, overgrown ground cover, dilapidated building or fence, noxious weeds, piles of natural material, graffiti, standing water). $175 if paid within 30 days; $325 if paid after 90 days. Nuisance at law $250; an act that unreasonably interferes with others $500.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 3814, Schedule A, Schedule A, Property Standards · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingStorage of material 6.1 (a) 250 175 325 N/A Noxious weeds 6.1 (g) 250 175 325 N/A Graffiti 6.1 (i) 250 175 325 N/A Nuisance at law 4.1 250 175 325 N/A |
| Bylaw | Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw, 2020, No. 4190Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw 2020, No. 4190, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis Bylaw is cited as “Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw, 2020, No. 4190”. |
How it works
Under the Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw 4190, owners and occupiers must not allow on their property (section 6.1):
- Stored discarded materials, rubbish or derelict vehicles.
- Vehicles, boats, trailers or RVs parked on landscaped areas or in disrepair.
- Grass or weeds over 15 cm, or noxious weeds.
- Dilapidated buildings or fences.
- Building materials stacked over 15 days a year.
- Uncontrolled growth, dead trees, unstacked firewood or dirt piles.
- Graffiti or stagnant water.
Steps
- Report it to Bylaw Services: online form, email, phone, or in person at City Hall. Give your name, address and phone, the property address, when you first saw it and a description.
- An officer may order the owner to fix the property within a time the officer sets.
- If it is not done, the City may enter and do the work at the owner's cost. Unpaid costs after December 31 can be added to property taxes.
Good to know
- The owner may appeal in writing to the Bylaw Services Manager at least 7 days before the deadline, then to Council at least 72 hours before.
- Tickets: $250 for most property upkeep offences ($175 if paid within 30 days, $325 after 90 days). Nuisance at law is $250; an act that unreasonably interferes with others is $500.
What you'll need
- Your name, address and phone (anonymous complaints are not accepted)
- The property address, when you first saw the problem, and a description
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Coquitlam · New Westminster · Port Moody · Belcarra · Anmore · Burnaby
Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw 2020, No. 4190 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Services, City of Port Coquitlam (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 3814, Schedule A (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.