Keep Wyndham clean, safe and presentable
Well-maintained properties make Wyndham a better place to live.
Keeping our properties neat and tidy can have many positive impacts on the local area like:
- decreased incidences of graffiti, vandalism and anti-social behaviour
- reducing safety issues such as fire hazards
- increased property values
Wyndham Council can issue fines for unsightly and unsafe properties. If you are an owner or occupier of a property, you must keep your property reasonably tidy at all times.
The issue of unsightly properties
Unsightly properties make the area seem unsafe, untidy and poorly cared for. They can:
- impact negatively on the area's appearance
- negative social, economic and safety impacts
- encourage graffiti, vandalism and other anti-social behaviour
- attract vermin and pests
- create a fire hazard
Community Laws and unsightly properties
Under the Community Amenity Local Law 2023 owners/occupiers must maintain their properties and prevent them from becoming unsightly.
An unsightly property is a poorly maintained or badly kept property. It applies to private properties, commercial businesses, or industrial premises.
A property or premises may be considered unsightly due to:
- rubbish
- scrap metal/hard waste/white goods/furniture or vehicles
- trees/shrubs growing beyond the property boundary
- grass exceeding 150mm in height
- overgrown grass or weeds on the nature strip or side of property
- a combination of the above
The role of property owners, occupiers, and landlords
The Community Amenity Local Law 2023 is clear in listing the owner/occupier of land as responsible for that property. If you are a landlord, remember you and your tenants are equally responsible for the property.
Tips and hints to keep a property tidy and compliant
Things you can do to avoid your property from becoming unsightly include:
- regularly maintaining your garden and lawn
- storing goods out of sight in your garage or shed
- putting your waste and recycling out for Council’s kerbside collection
- booking a free hard waste collection (each property gets 3 collections per year, available to property owners and renters/tenants)
- taking unwanted goods to the RDF
Council inspections
Wyndham City regularly visits properties to ensure compliance with the community amenity local law. If your property is found to be unsightly, Council will communicate with you to let you know what needs to be done to resolve the issue/s.
Report an unsightly property
You can report an unsightly property online and you will receive an acknowledgment of your submission.
If the matter you report is urgent or a hazardous situation that may cause physical harm to a person or property, please call Wyndham City on 1300 023 411 (including after business hours).
Complaints about unsightly properties and our process
If Council receives a complaint about a property, a Local Laws Officer will come out to inspect it.
If the Officer identifies any issues, the property owner / occupier will be advised of the breach and given an opportunity to fix the problem.
If the owner / occupier does not comply, enforcement action will be taken, and infringements may apply.
Council may enlist a contractor to complete works on behalf of an owner if the issue is not resolved within a satisfactory timeframe. The costs for any completed works are the responsibility of the property owners, as stipulated in the Local Government Act 1989.