Property owners are responsible for keeping their property from becoming overgrown or unsightly.

Maintaining your gardens and lawns, and keeping your property clean and tidy will help to reduce vermin breeding in your backyard and lower the fire risk. Storing goods out of sight in a shed or garage can help to prevent a property becoming unsightly.

Overgrown premises – fire hazard and vermin

If your grass is higher than 450 millimetres, it may be considered overgrown and a fire hazard.

Long grass can attract vermin such as rats and mice. Long grass also provides a home for snakes and cane toads.

Large piles of grass clippings, mulch, compost or vegetation can be a fire hazard. A large pile is about two metres in height, width and length.

Unsightly premises

Common unsightly items left lying around the yard or stockpiled can include:

• discarded or disused machinery
• second-hand material
• derelict vehicles
• old whitegoods
• building materials
• household waste.

You could take advantage of yearly kerbside cleanups to dispose of unwanted items.

Investigating reports of overgrown or unsightly premises

If we receive a complaint about an overgrown or unsightly property, we will investigate it.

If we find that a property is overgrown or unsightly, we will give the owner a written notice telling them to clean up. The owner may be required to cut the grass and/or remove, store or screen from view any unsightly objects or materials.

In rural areas, we may need a fire break along the property boundary to prevent the risk of fire to other property.

If the owner takes no action within the given time, we have authority under Local Law No. 10 (Public Health) 1999 to arrange for a contractor to do the work. The land owner will be liable for the cost.

To report an overgrown or unsightly property, please call us on 07 3412 3412 or email us at council@logan.qld.gov.au.