In July of 2017, the Janesville City Council passed a Vacant Building Registration Program with the intent of implementing the program in early 2018. The Housing Services Division has hired a Vacant Building Coordinator and will begin enforcing the ordinance.
Vacant properties and the lack of standard maintenance thereon can become unsightly and unsafe, negatively affecting property values and overall quality of life in respective neighborhoods. Further, vacant and abandoned properties consume a disproportionate amount of City resources and pose increased safety risks for City employees. The Vacant Building Registration Program is intended to address these issues by facilitating the identification, inspection, registration, and maintenance of vacant properties.
The registration program includes a six-month registration fee of $200 for each vacant residential property and $350 for each vacant commercial property. An additional $50 is added to the renewal fee every six months thereafter for each property remaining in a vacant state. The exterior of properties will be inspected and required to be code compliant.
