The City may condemn a building when:

• It is vacant and boarded for more than 60 days. See Boarded buildings
• An inspector finds it to be unsafe and cites specific hazards.
• An inspector has assigned the property a score that qualifies it for condemnation due to general poor condition.
• Utilities have been discontinued.
• There is a housing hygiene problem.

In rare cases, the City could condemn one unit in a multi-unit building. This would only happen if the unit does not endanger the remaining structure.

Once a building is condemned, the owner:

• Must prove that problems have been fixed before anyone can live in or use the building
• Will likely need to go through a code compliance process

See Code compliance

Condemned buildings:

• Often meet the City's criteria for the Vacant Building Registration (VBR) program.
• Can be rehabbed through an agreement between the owner and the City.

Before the City gives out permits to do work on a vacant building, the owner must:

• Register the property with the VBR program
• Pay all vacant building fees

See Vacant Building Registration