Updated rules for NADP aim to address neighborhood eyesores faster

Updated rules for NADP aim to address neighborhood eyesores faster

Published on August 04, 2026

DENVER - Starting this month, Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) is putting into place new and improved rules that aim to find solutions faster and more efficiently for dilapidated buildings and troublesome empty lots across the city. Changes include updated criteria, stricter fines and a new enforcement process to identify and address neglected and derelict properties (NADP), reflecting the city's ongoing commitment to protecting the safety, prosperity, health and welfare of all residents.

The new rules are the result of collaboration among CPD inspectors, City Council and partner agencies, including Department of Public Health and Environment and the City Attorney's Office. The group began working in 2024 with the goal of ensuring neglected and derelict properties are brought into compliance with city codes more quickly and efficiently and don't remain long-term nuisances for neighboring residents. City Council voted to approve the changes to the Denver Revised Municipal Code in 2025, with the regulations going into effect on August 1, 2026.

"Every building in Denver should be safe and in use, and our neighborhood inspections team has done a lot of great work to help develop and implement a stronger approach for difficult cases," said CPD Executive Director Brad Buchanan. "This update offers a clear pathway for property owners and provides the prompt and consistent enforcement residents and neighborhoods have been asking for."

"Neglected and derelict buildings can have impacts far beyond the property itself, affecting the neighbors, businesses, and communities around them," said City Council member Amanda Sawyer (District 5). "I'm proud of the work Denver City Council, CPD, and our partner agencies put into creating a more effective approach to address these challenges. This updated ordinance provides clearer expectations for property owners and helps ensure the city can better respond when properties remain unresolved."

"This milestone reflects more than two years of collaboration to strengthen how Denver addresses neglected and derelict properties," said City Council member Jamie Torres (District 3). "Left unaddressed, these properties create health and safety risks while preventing the housing, businesses and neighborhood investment our city needs to thrive. These updated rules and regulations provide stronger enforcement tools to resolve problem properties more quickly, helping the city hold property owners accountable, return neglected properties to productive use and improve the safety and quality of life in every Denver neighborhood."

"I am extremely pleased that landlords owning abandoned or ignored properties will now be held to a higher standard and will no longer be permitted to degrade quality of life in the surrounding community without substantial penalty," said City Council member Paul Kashmann (District 6). "My thanks to the city agencies who have partnered with Council to devise this long overdue solution. And special thanks to my Council co-sponsors Councilwomen Amanda Sawyer and Jamie Torres, and all our hardworking aides, for their persistence in seeing this through. Private property rights are sacred, but so are community rights. We can't allow one party's negligence to bring down property values and peace of mind in the adjoining neighborhood."

What is a neglected and derelict property?

Under Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 10-140, every property owner is responsible for the care and maintenance of their property and any buildings on it. CPD has the authority to designate a property as neglected and derelict when specific conditions exist:

• A building on the property is unsafe, as defined by the Denver building code.
• A building has not been lawfully occupied for three consecutive months, is wholly or partially boarded up, and shows no evidence of substantial, ongoing construction activity.
• The property is not lawfully occupied and has had three separate violations of city or state law within a two-year period.
• The property is not lawfully occupied and a distraint warrant has been issued for unpaid taxes.
• The property has been designated a neighborhood nuisance due to inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence or similar conditions that pose a danger to public health, safety or welfare.

Vacant properties and vacant lots without buildings may also be designated neglected and derelict if CPD inspectors find them unsafe, in consistent violation of city or state statutes, or otherwise a nuisance to the surrounding community. While additional criteria were not added to the existing to designation guidelines, updated regulations reflect changes in process and penalties for non-compliance.

What happens after a property is designated?

Under the updated regulations, owners are now required to attend a pre-application meeting with CPD within 30 days of designation to review the violations, discuss any relevant site conditions and identify a path toward remediation. The city encourages owners to reach an approved remedial plan during this meeting, which establishes agreed-upon timelines, benchmarks and interim maintenance requirements.

Owners may resolve an NADP designation through one of the following outcomes:

1. Rehabilitate the property and bring it back into legal occupancy.
2. Sell the property - CPD will work directly with the new owner on remediation.
3. Demolish the structure.
4. For vacant land, demonstrate the property has remained violation-free for six months.

Updated penalties and fines for non-compliance

Property owners who fail to comply with an order of designation, miss the required pre-application meeting or fail to properly maintain and secure a designated property will now face administrative citations of $5,000 per violation. CPD will continue issuing citations until the owner begins complying with city orders.

Repeated failures to maintain and secure a designated property may result in a General Violation summons in Denver County Court, where a judge may impose additional penalties including, in the most serious cases, the appointment of a receiver to oversee the property.

How to report a neglected property

Residents and property owners can find full details on the updated regulations on CPD's neglected and derelict property webpage. To report a neglected property in your neighborhood, dial 3-1-1, text "hello" to 439311 (HEY311) or visit 311 City Services to submit requests or report issues digitally.

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