Vacant, Boarded-Up and Abandoned Buildings and Vacant Lots in San Diego

The Municipal Code treats an empty building differently from an abandoned property. The difference decides whether the City's code enforcement division will act on a report.

• Vacant structure. Municipal Code section 54.0302 defines it as "any structure or building that is unoccupied or occupied by unauthorized persons."
• Abandoned property. The same section lists four situations: a vacant lot where code or public nuisance violations exist; a vacant structure where code or public nuisance violations exist; "a vacant structure which is boarded, irrespective of whether code or public nuisance violations exist at the property"; and a vacant structure on a property under a current Notice of Default, Notice of Trustee's Sale or pending tax lien sale, or one taken back by the lender through foreclosure or a deed in lieu of foreclosure.
• A public nuisance per se. Section 54.0306 says "An abandoned property where code or public nuisance violations exist constitutes a public nuisance per se," and that the City considers how long a property has been vacant when deciding whether it is abandoned. The code's general definition of a public nuisance, in section 11.0210, is a condition "which constitutes a threat to the public's health, safety and welfare" or significantly interferes with the reasonable use of property in a neighborhood.
• Simply vacant is not enforced. As of November 3, 2026, Building & Land Use Enforcement's Priority of Cases page lists "Vacant properties (unless abandoned)" among complaint types it does not currently enforce after budget cuts for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027; those requests are opened and immediately closed for statistics. Abandoned properties, by contrast, are Priority II. Our code enforcement guide covers the full priority list.

Division 3 of Chapter 5, Article 4 (Abatement of Abandoned Properties) puts these duties on the "responsible person," which the code defines to include the owner, a tenant, anyone with a legal interest in the property or anyone in possession of it. Violations are strict liability offenses and may be prosecuted as misdemeanors (sections 54.0304 and 54.0305).

• Keep it secured. Section 54.0306(d) makes it unlawful for the responsible person for an abandoned property "to fail to lock, barricade or secure all doors, windows and other openings to any vacant structure on the property." When the City asks, the owner must also put up fences, barriers or berms to discourage entry and dumping (section 54.0306(f)).
• Keep it clean. Section 54.0306(e) requires removing litter, waste, rubbish, debris, unpermitted vehicles and storage that does not fit the zoning from the whole property, including inside the building, along with vegetation that a fire inspector finds is a fire hazard. Every property, vacant or not, must be kept free from waste under section 54.0208.
• Board to City standards. Section 54.0308 sets out how a vacant structure is boarded: clear waste from inside and from the yards; cover unsecured doors, windows and openings with exterior-grade plywood at least 1/2 inch thick, bolted to 2x4 stock with carriage bolts; use galvanized or cadmium-plated hardware; and paint the boards the main color of the building. The City may accept another method that adequately prevents entry or vandalism.
• Post "DO NOT ENTER" signs. Signs at least 18 by 24 inches, readable from 45 feet, go at or near each entrance and on fences or walls, and stay up until the building is lawfully occupied or demolished. Section 54.0309 makes it unlawful to enter or occupy a posted building except to repair or demolish it under permit or with the owner's authorization, or to remove or deface the notice.
• File a Letter of Agency with SDPD. Section 54.0306(g) requires the owner of an abandoned property to file a Letter of Agency with the San Diego Police Department and update it every six months. SDPD's Letter of Agency page explains that it authorizes officers to enforce against anyone on the property without the owner's consent or a lawful purpose, and recommends one for vacant buildings and vacant lots.
• File a Statement of Intent. Under section 54.0313, the responsible person must submit a Statement of Intent within 30 calendar days after the City determines a property is abandoned, and again every year it stays that way. It covers the expected period of vacancy, a maintenance plan, a plan and timeline to occupy, rehabilitate or demolish the building (or develop or sell a vacant lot), and full ownership and contact information. The City's Building & Land Use Enforcement forms page lists it as Form NC-174.
• Lender registration for defaulted or foreclosed homes. We did not find a general vacant building registry in the Municipal Code. Division 11 does require the lender (or its servicer) on a residential property in default, and the owner of a home taken back through foreclosure, to register it with the City within 10 calendar days, report changes within 10 days and renew by January 31 each year. The registration must say whether there is a vacant structure on the property and include its Statement of Intent. The form is NC-93.

As of November 3, 2026, the Get It Done service list has no report type for vacant, boarded or abandoned buildings. Use the route that matches what you see.

• An open, unsecured or boarded vacant building. File a Request for Investigation with Building & Land Use Enforcement: online, by mailing the Request for Investigation form (PDF) to Building and Land Use Enforcement Division, 7650 Mission Valley Road, MS DSD-1A, San Diego, CA 92108-4423, or by calling 619-236-5500. The division does not accept anonymous requests, and says complainant information is kept confidential except in rare cases where a court proceeding requires it.
• A building that looks dangerous or unstable. The same Request for Investigation has a checkbox for "Dangerous or unstable structures," a Priority I category. If walls or a roof are collapsing onto a sidewalk or street, or anyone is in danger, call 911 first.
• Trash, junk or debris on a vacant lot. Get It Done Waste on Private Property is for trash, junk, debris and discarded items that have built up on private property, and names vacant lots among the places it covers. The form says it is not for waste in the street, sidewalk or alley; items dumped in the public right of way go to Illegal Dumping, which listed an estimated resolution time of 5 days as of November 3, 2026. See our illegal dumping guide. A vacant lot that also has other code violations can be reported to Building & Land Use Enforcement as an abandoned property.
• Dry weeds and brush on a vacant lot. San Diego Fire-Rescue's Citizen Complaint Inspections page takes brush and weed complaints about privately owned land through its online brush complaint or at 619-533-4444. It says it cannot respond to every complainant but all complaints will be investigated. Fire-Rescue's Annual Vacant Lot Weed Abatement Program also covers privately owned vacant lots each year. Our brush and weeds guide explains that program, brush zones and City-owned land.
• Graffiti, vehicles and other problems. Graffiti on a vacant building is a Get It Done Graffiti report; the City's resolution timeframes list gives 377 days for private property that needs code enforcement, as of November 3, 2026 (see our graffiti guide). For a wrecked or inoperable vehicle left on the property, see our abandoned vehicles guide. For how Get It Done works in general, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.
• Someone inside, or a fire. Call 911 for smoke or fire, a crime in progress or someone hurt or trapped. For someone inside a building you believe is unsafe, or trespassing that is not an emergency, the San Diego Police Department non-emergency number is 619-531-2000.

• Priority and inspection. Building & Land Use Enforcement says each new case is given a priority level and assigned to staff within one business day, then researched, usually followed by an inspection. Its Priority of Cases list puts abandoned properties in Priority II, inspected within five business days, and dangerous or unstable structures in Priority I, inspected within a business day.
• Abatement Notice and Order. If the City finds an abandoned property with code or public nuisance violations, section 54.0307 lets it send the responsible person an Abatement Notice and Order to clean and secure or board the building and remove the conditions creating a nuisance. It can also require fences or barriers, no-trespassing and no-dumping signs, removal of weeds over twelve inches tall, graffiti removal, a pool or spa kept clean or drained, and a sign with the property address and a local contact's name and phone number.
• Deadline. Vacant structures fall under "Time Frame One" in section 12.0604, which gives the responsible person ten calendar days from service of the notice. Section 54.0307(h) gives fifteen calendar days when the building is a single-family home. The owner can appeal within ten calendar days (section 12.0606); the City's appeals page lists the Administrative Abatement Notice and Order and the Notice of Boarded and Vacant Structure Penalty among notices that can be appealed.
• City abatement and costs. If the owner does not comply and does not appeal, section 54.0307(i) lets the City clean and board an unsecured building, remove litter, debris and excessive vegetation, remove vehicles and items stored in violation of the zoning code, and recover all costs, including the cost to administer the work (section 54.0311). If a building it already abated is open again, or the property again fills with debris or overgrowth, section 54.0310 lets the City act again without further notice. Under section 54.0312, a property that keeps returning to that state can be declared a permanent public nuisance, and the City may seek demolition through a court order or administrative procedures.
• Imminent hazards. When the City determines "an imminent life safety hazard exists that requires immediate correction," section 12.0702 lets it post the premises as unsafe, board, fence or secure the building, or make minimal emergency repairs without prior notice, with costs recovered from the responsible person.
• Penalties. Under section 54.0315, as amended effective July 15, 2026, a property left abandoned for more than 90 consecutive days can bring a civil penalty of up to $10,000, with further penalties for each later 90-day period, capped at $100,000 per property per calendar year; the amounts are adjusted yearly for inflation. The penalty does not apply when an approved Statement of Intent is on file and the owner meets an exception, such as active repair under a building permit, a maintained building actively offered for sale or rent, or a vacant lot with no recurring violations. The City may also charge reinspection fees (section 54.0314). More generally, Building & Land Use Enforcement says civil penalties can reach $10,000 a day and $500,000 in total, and the City Attorney can bring criminal or civil cases.
• Weeds on vacant lots. For the Fire-Rescue program, Fire Prevention Services Inc. sends owners a letter after the winter rains, inspects within 30 days, and issues a Notice of Violation if the lot violates the California Fire Code. Fire-Rescue says a property not brought into compliance will be cleared by a City contractor at the owner's cost under section 54.0206; section 54.0207 allows those costs to become a lien on the property.

• The exact address. The Request for Investigation form says "The correct address of violation must be included," with the nearest cross street. For a vacant lot with no address, give the street, the nearest cross street and the addresses of the lots on either side, or drop a map pin in Get It Done.
• What you see. Which doors or windows are open or broken and on which side of the building, whether it is boarded, whether there is trash, debris, dry weeds or standing water in a pool, and roughly how long it has looked vacant. The form asks for the owner or manager if you know them, and whether it is a residential or rental property.
• Photos from public property. The form asks you to attach pictures or sketches and to keep the division updated on any improvement or lack of it. Take photos from the sidewalk or street.
• Do not enter. Do not go into a vacant building or onto a fenced or posted lot to look, take photos, close a door or clean up. Vacant buildings can have weak floors, broken glass, exposed wiring and other hazards, and section 54.0309 makes entering a posted building unlawful. If you think someone inside is in danger, or you see smoke, call 911 rather than going in. Get It Done's Waste on Private Property form also asks reporters not to approach anyone or enter private property to gather information.