Can You Sell a Home with Code Violations?

While your property is yours, it is still located within a municipality, which will have laws for you to abide by. These laws are necessary because you probably won’t be the only person staying in the area. To prevent harm to neighbors, there are often codes and laws regulating the use and management of your property.

You may still be liable for these code violations even if you don’t live on the property. Several counties and local governments exist and will have different regulations. 

Most Common Housing Violations

Some of these count as real estate code violations in most locations in the US.

1. Abandoned/Rickety Vehicles

This is highly regular in most households across the country. Homeowners openly store vehicles that are no longer road-worthy and have no intentions to sell. These cars present potential hazards to the immediate environment. First, they can leak fossil fluids to the surroundings.

Then, they can harbor harmful pathogens and other organisms. 

Certain codes regulate how home dwellers openly park vehicles within their property premises to prevent this. 

First, whatever vehicle they are parking must be working perfectly and be road-worthy. 

They must not park on non-improved surfaces such as dirt, granite, or gravel. You can only park on finished surfaces such as concrete or asphalt.

Finally, the vehicle’s documents must be up-to-date.

2. Air Pollution

No matter the activity you are engaged in, ensure that you don’t generate gaseous wastes that will make neighbors uncomfortable. Air pollution can be caused by prolonged foul-smelling substances or improper release of gasses into the atmosphere. 

For instance, excessive fumes from any incineration within your property may also break some codes. 

Regardless of the form of the air pollution, if they cause significant discomfort to your neighbors, you’re already violating regulations. Also, note that most forms of air pollution often hurt people’s health.

3. Wastes on Property Premises

Proper property management requires that you don’t allow unwanted items to linger around the property to the extent that they become debris. These range from appliances to household wastes, furniture, and more. 

For instance, authorities have, in the past, charged homeowners for letting construction debris pile up outside their homes. Fallen trees or shrubs may also be included in some municipalities.

You may think, “If it’s in my front yard, it’s no problem.” But unfortunately, the law doesn’t agree. In Tallahassee, Florida, regulations outlaw open storage for items that should ideally not be outdoors. 

Apart from being an eyesore, junk items can serve as breeding points for all forms of organisms.

4. Fencing Codes

While you’re allowed to construct a hedge around your property, the law doesn’t permit using some materials. These include electric fencing and razor or barbed wires within residential areas.

5. Growth on Lawns

Most regulations do not favor leaving plants and grasses on a property to grow uncontrollably. There are certain maximum heights for grass growth in several places, which will amount to a violation if not maintained. 

There are good reasons for this. One is environmental aesthetics. Then, the outgrowths may encroach on others’ properties or into the streets. 

Most regulations do not favor leaving plants and grasses on a property to grow uncontrollably. There are certain maximum heights for grass growth in several places, which will amount to a violation if not maintained. 

There are good reasons for this. One is environmental aesthetics. Then, the outgrowths may encroach on others’ properties or into the streets. 

In addition, overgrown lawns may harbor pests, some of which can be dangerous.

Placement of Building Numbers

You need to place the house number assigned to your property in a very obvious location. Reasons include emergency services to find the property easily and ease at-home delivery.

Rules for Swimming Pools

If you have an outdoor pool within the property, you need to enclose it within a fence with a height of at least 4 feet.

Sanctions for Code Violations

Each city or county may have its rules, but punishments for violating codes typically include:

• Fines

Fines are the most common and may extend into thousands of dollars, depending on the offense.

• Jail Time

Jail time as a sanction for real estate violations is rare, but it does happen. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t take more than a few days.

• Property Closure

If authorities sense an immediate threat to the public, they may lockdown the building.

Nonetheless, before issuing any sanctions, the authorities typically issue several warnings. Failure to heed any of these notices leads to legal actions.

Can You Sell a House with Code Violations?

Yes, you can sell a property with code violations. First, however, you need to take some steps. 

1. Decide which violations you want to fix. 
2. If there are those you can’t fix, declare them during the sale.
3. Put the house up for sale using any of these methods:

• Contracting a broker or agent.
• Selling yourself.

Selling to a direct cash buyer is one of the easiest ways of selling your house with code violations. One of the best cash buyers you can get is Florida Home Buyers.

Conclusion

Ideally, you should avoid being on the wrong side of the law. As such, observe the various codes that regulate property use and maintenance. 

However, violating some codes shouldn’t deprive you of good opportunities, such as getting a reasonable offer to sell your home.

We Buy Houses No Matter Your Situation

You deserve to have a fair and honest experience when you sell your home, no matter how bad it looks or how long No matter how horrible the house looks or how long it takes to sell, you deserve an honest and fair experience when you do so. We listen carefully to what you have to say and then work to get your house sold as quickly as possible while minimizing your stress level.