The purpose of the Vacant Building Registration ordinance is to safeguard health, property, and public welfare by regulating and monitoring the status of vacant buildings within the City of Lewisville.

A vacant building shall mean any building or structure that is unoccupied or is occupied by a person without legal right of occupancy. Multi-tenant buildings will be considered vacant if 75 percent of the total floor area is not legally occupied. There is a presumption of vacancy if all lawful uses in the building have ceased or reasonably appear to have ceased for more than 90 days.

Exceptions – The ordinance does NOT apply to a vacant building that:

• Has an open building permit for construction, remodeling or repair;
• Is being actively marketed for sale or lease for a period of less than six consecutive months following the date that the building became a vacant building by a licensed real estate broker or an owner who is regularly advertising the property for sale;

• Is under contract for sale or lease for a period of less than six months following the date that the building became a vacant building.

If you are unsure if a building meets the criteria for registration, please call the Code Enforcement Division at 972.219.3480.

Vacant Building Registration Application

All vacant building registrations expire annually on October 31 regardless of the initial registration date and must be renewed accordingly if a building continues to meet the criteria set forth in Chapter 4 Article XIV.