Learn about maintenance standards for private property

Last updated March 25, 2024

Certain regulations apply to mowing height, prohibited materials, and weeds that are harmful to human health. Learn about the standards that apply in your borough so that you can properly maintain your property.

For public health and safety reasons, there are regulations pertaining to the maintenance of private property. By-laws apply to mowing height for lawns and the control of weeds that are undesirable or harmful to human health. In addition, it is prohibited to store certain materials on your property, such as garbage, pruning waste and vehicle carcasses.

As the owner of a private property, you are also responsible for maintaining the public strip of land between the sidewalk (or curb) and your private property, whether it’s in front of or beside your building. 

Publicly-owned trees planted in this area are maintained by the borough, but you must ensure that the strip of land is clean and in good condition.

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All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly and grass must be no higher than 25 cm maximum, except for herbs being grown in a garden that need to be harvested and herbaceous ornamental plants that have been sown or planted.
  • Your property must be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials.

Your property must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 15 cm.
  • It is prohibited to: 
    • Let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
    • Keep garbage, debris of any kind, tires, pruning waste, scrap metal, brush or motor vehicle carcasses on your property.
    • storing recyclable materials other than in the containers provided for that purpose.
  • Your property must be:
    • Levelled to avoid any water accumulation.

Information

By phone

Permit counter – Anjou

514-493-8086

Legislation

All private lots, vacant lots or lots with buildings, must be maintained and kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 20 centimetres.

It is prohibited to: 

  • Let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
  • Keep construction materials, metal structures, garbage, pruning debris, scrap metal, dead foliage, dead animals, needles, mud, ashes, hazardous waste and stripped vehicles on lots.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 15 cm.
  • Your property must:
    • Have a lawn, a garden or landscaping (not clay).
    • Be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to: 
    • Let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
    • Keep construction materials, metal structures, garbage, pruning waste, scrap metal, brush, dead animals or motor vehicle carcasses on your property.

Communication channels

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 15 cm.
  • Your property must:
    • Have a lawn, a garden or landscaping (not clay).
    • Be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to: 
    • Let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
    • Keep construction materials, metal structures, garbage, pruning waste, scrap metal, brush, dead animals or motor vehicle carcasses on your property.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly and grass must be no higher than 15 cm maximum, except for herbs being grown in a garden that need to be harvested and herbaceous ornamental plants that have been sown or planted.
  • Your property must be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private lots, vacant lots or lots with buildings, must be maintained and kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 20 centimetres, except for herbs being grown in a garden that need to be harvested and herbaceous ornamental plants that have been sown or planted.
  • The ground must:
    • have a lawn, a garden or landscaping (not clay).
    • be levelled to avoid water accumulations except in the case of ditches, bodies of water and wetlands.
  • It is prohibited to:
    • let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds)
    • throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials (for example: construction materials, metal structures, garbage, pruning waste, scrap metal, brush, dead animals or motor vehicle carcasses)
    • create compost that generates unpleasant odours.

Communication channels

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

Your property must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 20 cm.
  • It is prohibited to: 
    • Let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
    • Keep garbage, debris of any kind, manure, scrap metal, brush or motor vehicle carcasses on your property.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly and grass must be no higher than 30 cm maximum, except for herbs being grown in a garden that need to be harvested and herbaceous ornamental plants that have been sown or planted.
  • The lot must be free of tree branches and roots, hedges and climbing plants that could damage or obstruct public property (e.g., road signs, lampposts, or public thoroughfares).
  • The land must be free of any excavation or hole that could pose a danger to the health or safety of persons and is not justified by work in progress.
  • It is prohibited to:
    • Let undesirable (noxious) weeds or invasive plant species grow.
    • Store or bury harmful or unclean materials.
    • Leave stagnant, putrid, dirty or contaminated water, including swimming pool water.

Communication channels

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private properties, whether vacant or built on, must be maintained in good condition.  

  • Grass must be cut regularly, to a maximum height of 15 cm, except for grasses grown in a garden for harvest, or ornamental herbaceous plants, seeded or planted.
  • Grass, hedges and bushes must be replaced or removed if they die.
  • Fences and hedges must be maintained in good condition and free of any unclean or harmful materials.
  • Ground surfaces must be levelled to prevent any water from accumulating.
  • Walkways and paths, building access routes and parking areas must be well maintained.
  • Disposing, storing or burying any unclean or harmful material is prohibited on the lot.
  • No snow can accumulate within 10 metres of a sidewalk or the street.
  • No construction material is allowed unless a permit has been issued.

Communication channels

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly and grass must be no higher than 15 cm maximum, except for herbs being grown in a garden that need to be harvested and herbaceous ornamental plants that have been sown or planted. 
  • Your property must be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 15 cm.
  • It is prohibited to: 
    • Let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
    • Keep garbage, debris of any kind, manure, scrap metal, brush or vehicle carcasses on your property.
    • Keep construction materials, metal structures, garbage, pruning waste, scrap metal, brush, dead animals or motor vehicle carcasses on your property.
  • Your property must be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to bury any harmful on your property.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly and grass must be no higher than 30 cm maximum, except for herbs being grown in a garden that need to be harvested and herbaceous ornamental plants that have been sown or planted.
  • The ground must be levelled to avoid water accumulations except in the case of ditches, bodies of water and wetlands.
  • It is prohibited to throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly and grass must be no higher than 30 cm maximum, except for herbs being grown in a garden that need to be harvested and herbaceous ornamental plants that have been sown or planted.
  • Your property must be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials.
  • It is prohibited to create compost that generates unpleasant odours.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 20 cm.
  • It is prohibited to: 
    • Let noxious weeds grow, such as poison ivy and ragweed.
    • Keep garbage, debris of any kind, scrap metal, construction debris or vehicle carcasses on your property.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 15 cm.
  • It is prohibited to: 
    • Let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
    • Keep debris of any kind, small branches, scrap metal, brush and materials on your property. 
    • Keep an unregistered and unused motor vehicle that is more than seven years old on your property.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 30 cm.
  • Yards must:
    • Have natural grass on the ground, or be landscaped with plants, shrubs or trees planted in the ground.
    • Permit proper drainage towards the municipal sewer.
    • Be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited: 
    • To let undesirable weeds grow (noxious weeds).
    • To use synthetic coverings to cover the ground.
    • To keep construction materials, metal structures, garbage, pruning waste, scrap metal, brush, dead animals or motor vehicle carcasses on your property.

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 15 cm, except if the land on this property is under cultivation
  • The property must be kept free of dead leaves at all times
  • It is prohibited to throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials on your property (for example: construction materials, metal structures, garbage, pruning waste, scrap metal, brush, dead animals or motor vehicle carcasses).

Communication channels

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation

All private or vacant property on which there is a building must be kept in good condition. 

  • Lawns must be mowed regularly, and grass must be no higher than 15 cm.
  • Your property must be level to avoid water accumulation.
  • It is prohibited to throw away, store or bury harmful or unclean materials.
  • The owner and the occupant are responsible for keeping the property free of garbage and unclean materials.
  • It is prohibited to use water to clean paved surfaces.
  • The owner or occupant must provide and install a trash can for each:
    • Lot used only for parking
    • Fast food establishment with direct access to the street 
    • Food service business with direct access to the street

Information

By phone

311

Outside of Montréal: 514-872-0311

Monday to Friday: From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legislation