Nuisances: Regulation and Abatement

MRSC receives many requests for sample ordinance provisions to regulate activities that are identified as nuisances. The principal purpose of this series of webpages is to provide a reference source to solutions to nuisance problems, including samples of regulatory language and, in some instances, to bring attention to programmatic approaches used to abate common nuisances. For some topics there may be several examples, each a variation of another, while on other topics there may be only one example that seems to be accepted as standard language across the state.

The Basics

• What is a Nuisance?
• Authority to Regulate and Abate Nuisances
• Code Enforcement

Examples of Specific Nuisance Control Provisions

• Animal Nuisances
• Automobile Nuisances
• Building and Property Nuisances – Includes dangerous/unfit buildings, graffiti, vacant buildings, unsightly areas, outdoor storage, storage and discharge of hazardous materials, attractive nuisances, and similar topics
• Drug Nuisances
• Junk Vehicles
• Light Nuisances - Ambient Light, Light Pollution, Glare
• Litter and Garbage Nuisances
• Noise Control
• Parking and Storage of Oversized Vehicles
• Public Property and Public Ways
• Weeds and Other Nuisance Vegetation