---
title: Sechelt unsightly property rules and how to report
question: "How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Sechelt?"
place: Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/sechelt
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Sechelt
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/unsightly-property/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/unsightly-property.json"
---

# Sechelt unsightly property rules and how to report

**Question:** How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Sechelt?

**Short answer:** In Sechelt, owners and tenants must not let their property become unsightly, unsanitary or hazardous, for example with accumulated garbage, noxious weeds or graffiti. Report a problem through the District's online complaint form or Bylaw Enforcement. Bylaw notices run from $100 to $450.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Sechelt, https://www.sechelt.ca)  
**Cost:** Bylaw notices: unsightly real property $300; failure to maintain property $300; refuse or garbage $300; accumulated water $250; unsanitary conditions $300; weeds $100; graffiti $300; hazardous real property $350; unsecured property $450.  
**How long:** No fixed time to comply is stated in the bylaw.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement, 604-885-1986 ext. 2
- Online: Bylaw Enforcement online complaint form (link on the District page), https://www.sechelt.ca/our-government/bylaws/bylaw-enforcement/
- In person: Municipal Hall, 2nd Floor, 5797 Cowrie Street, Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0 (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (the District page does not give the days of the week))

## Key facts

- **What counts:** Owners, legal tenants and people authorized by the owner must not allow: accumulated refuse, garbage or noxious, offensive or unwholesome material; accumulated water; unsanitary conditions; designated noxious weeds; trees or growths that are a safety hazard; graffiti on buildings or structures; unsightly conditions; health, fire or safety hazards on stairs, walks, driveways, buildings, fences and the like; nuisance odour; or a vacant property or building that is not secured.
  - Source: [Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 522, 2012 (consolidated), s. 2](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/o5whl0nc/522-2012-property-maintenance-bylaw-consolidation.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No owner, legal tenant, or person authorized by the owner to occupy and use real property" … "refuse, garbage, or other noxious, offensive, or unwholesome material to accumulate" … "noxious weeds designated under the Weed Control Regulation of the Weed Control" … "unsightly conditions to exist on such real property" … "nuisance odour;" … "a vacant property or vacant building to be unsecure"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **How to report:** Use the District's online Bylaw Enforcement complaint form (the most effective way), or the PDF complaint form, or contact Bylaw Enforcement at 604.885.1986 ext. 2.
  - Source: [Bylaw Enforcement, Bylaw Enforcement page](https://www.sechelt.ca/our-government/bylaws/bylaw-enforcement/)
  - Official wording: "Please note that the most effective way to submit a bylaw enforcement complaint is by using the online form:" … "Bylaw Enforcement Complaint PDF Form."
  - Source: [Contacts Directory | District of Sechelt, Contacts directory](https://www.sechelt.ca/contacts-directory/)
  - Official wording: "T: 604.885.1986 ext. 2"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **What happens next:** Owners and occupiers must remove the listed conditions. If they do not, and have been given the chance to appear before Council to be heard, the District may do the work itself or through others at the owner's expense and recover the cost as a debt or in the same way as property taxes. Officers may enter property at reasonable times to check.
  - Source: [Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 522, 2012 (consolidated), ss. 3, 4, 7](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/o5whl0nc/522-2012-property-maintenance-bylaw-consolidation.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every owner and occupier of real property shall remove, or cause to be removed, from" … "has been given an opportunity to" … "appear before Council to be heard in respect of such failure" … "at the expense of the owner or occupier" … "Any officer or employee of the District of Sechelt may enter at all reasonable times on any"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notices: unsightly real property $300; failure to maintain property $300; refuse or garbage $300; accumulated water $250; unsanitary conditions $300; weeds $100; graffiti $300; hazardous real property $350; unsecured property $450. Failing to remove an unsightly condition (s. 3(g)): $300. Compliance agreements available.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026), Schedule A, Property Maintenance Bylaw](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "522, 2012 Section 2 Unsightly real property $300 Yes" … "Failure to maintain property $300 Yes" … "Accumulation of Weeds $100 Yes" … "Hazardous real property $350 Yes" … "Not secure from unauthorized access $450 Yes" … "Owner/Occupier fail to remove unsightly $300 Yes" … "522, 2012 Section 3 Owner/Occupier fail to remove unsightly $300 Yes"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** District of Sechelt Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 522, 2012
  - Source: [Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 522, 2012 (consolidated), s. 1](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/o5whl0nc/522-2012-property-maintenance-bylaw-consolidation.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited as District of Sechelt Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 522, 2012."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Property Maintenance Bylaw 522](<https://www.sechelt.ca/media/o5whl0nc/522-2012-property-maintenance-bylaw-consolidation.pdf>) says owners, legal tenants and people authorized by the owner must not allow:

- accumulated refuse, garbage or noxious, offensive or unwholesome material
- accumulated water, or unsanitary conditions
- designated noxious weeds
- trees or growths that are a safety hazard
- graffiti on buildings or structures
- unsightly conditions
- health, fire or safety hazards on stairs, walks, driveways, buildings, fences and the like
- a nuisance odour
- a vacant property or building that is not secured

"Unsightly" is not further defined in the bylaw.

## Steps

1. Report it with the District's online Bylaw Enforcement complaint form (described as the most effective way), or the PDF complaint form.
2. Or call Bylaw Enforcement at 604-885-1986 ext. 2.

## Good to know

- If an owner does not remove the conditions and has been given the chance to appear before Council to be heard, the District may do the work itself or through others at the owner's expense and recover the cost as a debt or in the same way as property taxes.
- Officers may enter property at reasonable times to check.
- The bylaw states no fixed time to comply. Each day a violation continues is a separate offence.
- Bylaw notice amounts are in the cost field above. Failing to remove an unsightly condition is $300. Nuisance odour is $200, $250 or $300 for a first, second or third offence. Compliance agreements are available; no early or late amounts are set.

## Official forms and pages

- [Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 522, 2012 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/o5whl0nc/522-2012-property-maintenance-bylaw-consolidation.pdf)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Sechelt bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/bylaw-fines.md)
- [Sechelt noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/noise-rules.md)
- [Sechelt yard waste collection and drop-off](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/yard-waste.md)
- [Sechelt garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/garbage-collection.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/unsightly-property.md)
- [Gibsons](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/unsightly-property.md)
- [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/unsightly-property.md)
- [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/unsightly-property.md)
- [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/unsightly-property.md)
- [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/unsightly-property.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/unsightly-property.md)

## Sources

- [Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 522, 2012 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/o5whl0nc/522-2012-property-maintenance-bylaw-consolidation.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Enforcement, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/our-government/bylaws/bylaw-enforcement/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Contacts Directory | District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/contacts-directory/) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Sechelt. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/unsightly-property/_