New maintenance, security standards for vacant properties
The Hayward City Council last month enacted new maintenance and security standards that must be met by owners of vacant and abandoned buildings and property in the city.
The legislation is intended to make it easier for the City to address neighborhood blight and the public health and safety hazards associated with uninhabited structures and properties.
Specifically, the Council voted to establish a vacant and abandoned property registration and monitoring program; maintenance and security standards that must be met by owners of vacant and abandoned properties; and a fee and fine structure to fund the program and penalize owners who don’t comply.
Under the new rules, owners of buildings that have been subject to trespassing and vandalism can be required to install more resistant materials such clear polycarbonate panels and take other measures.
The City will notify property owners of the new rules in December and implement the new program on Jan. 1. For more information or to report problems with vacant buildings or properties, contact the Hayward Development Services Department’s Code Enforcement Division at (510) 583-4143.
