Whose responsibility is it to maintain the sidewalks?

33 comments

1. Varies. In some areas, individual property owners are solely responsible for the construction and maintenance of sidewalks, while in some other jurisdictions the city/county may consider them part of their roads.

2. In my neighborhood, it’s the HOA who hires landscapers and that’s part of their job. On the city streets, it’s the city’s responsibility.

3. Where I live (big city in Texas) it’s the property owner, which imo is insanely stupid. It should be the city’s responsibility.

4. Sacramento: inside the city limits, maintenance and repair is responsibility of the owner (even when the city trees – which I’m not allowed to trim! – cause the damage. Outside the city but still Sacramento County, sidewalks are not always required. If the resident puts one in, it’s their responsibility. If the county puts it in, they maintain/repair it.

5. In my city it is the property owner adjacent to the sidewalk.

   I don’t know what the building codes are, but I think any new developments must install sidewalks if none currently exist. My neighborhood residential streets did not have any sidewalks when we were incorporated into the city jurisdiction. Only residential blocks that have been re-developed in the recent past have sidewalks.

6. It really depends on the local laws

   Generally speaking the owner is responsible for snow removal and keeping the sidewalk free of debris.

   When a sidewalk cracks and becomes dangerous the responsibility to fix that could fall to the owner or it could fall to the HOA or could fall to the municipality or who the fuck knows who else could potentially be responsible.

7. Every city does it differently, for me, we’re responsible for shoveling and landscaping, but if the pavers crack or anything like that, the city is responsible for replacing the broken ones.

8. It can honestly vary a lot.

   In my current town:

   My home I used to own: We had a gravel road, and every few years someone would get tired of it and pay for new gravel thrown down. No one was really responsible.
   My home that I own: The HOA is responsible for the sidewalk, BUT they then ask us all to “chip in” and bundle it with street repairs, which we have to pay for per the bylaws.
   The home my friend owns: The city is responsible 100%

   Her mom’s home that she owns: The county is responsible 100%
   The home my other friend owns: They are responsible 100% and will be fined out the toot shoot if they don’t take care of it.

9. In my small town of 4500 the town put all new sidewalks in about 10 years ago paid with taxpayer money. It varies from place to place. Same for snow removal. We have no rules for it but some towns in Iowa give you 24 hours to shovel the snow off the sidewalk or get a fine

10. In my town it is the town.

    In my last town it was the town.

    That is for main streets.

    But in some neighborhoods the sidewalks are “private” and the responsibility of the home owners either individually or through an HOA.

11. Grass strip and sidewalk maintenance is my problem. Cement sidewalk needing repair is their problem.

    So like I need to shovel snow or sweep the sidewalk and mow the grass strip. But I don’t need to pay for major cement repairs when a tree destroys it with roots.

12. In most places I’ve lived, you’re responsible for clearing the sidewalk directly in front of your house. It’s technically public space, but if someone slips on the ice because you didn’t put salt down, you can be held legally responsible.

13. Generally speaking people are responsible for their lawn. If the lawn overgrows the sidewalk they would be responsible for that too. In my town I would be responsible for the grass, but the town is responsible for the actual concrete walk, say if it breaks etc.

    Often in devopments with home owners associations the association is responsible for lawn care.

    You won’t see one of those videos from a neighborhood with an HOA.

14. Depends on the local laws. Might be the homeowner, might be the local government.

    You hear a lot of horror stories about homeowners’ associations (HOAs) but this is something that they do sometimes too.

15. I honestly have no idea who’s responsible for the sidewalk in front of my house. I’ve owned the house for over 12 years, and it’s never really needed any maintenance, although I do occasionally pull up the weeds that are growing from the cracks, but I don’t think I have any obligation to. Not a lot of soil and vegetation collects there, and it doesn’t snow here, so basically no maintenance is ever needed.

16. Depends on where you live. Most of the time it’s whoever’s home is in front of the walkway. If there is no home there, the city takes care of it.

17. In my city the ordinance states that the owner of the property is responsible for keeping the sidewalk in repair. We are also required to remove snow and ice. In reality, a lot of sidewalks around town are in bad shape, covered with dirt and grass and are never cleared of snow and ice in winter. Keeping sidewalks in repair or cleared is not really enforced.

    It is up to the local city laws who is responsible.

18. Most places the homeowner is responsible for maintenance (trimming grass, shoveling snow, etc.), and the city is responsible for repairs and such. Unless you live in my neighborhood. Then no one is responsible for any part of it

19. Usually it’s the individual property owners. You don’t own that land but you have to keep it clear.

20. Here in Portland, property owners are responsible for keeping them clean and free of clutter/leaves/snow. The city is in charge of actual repairs.

21. Where I live it’s the homeowner that is responsible for keeping the sidewalks clear.

22. No idea since it varies so much from place to place. I’ve seen this video you linked though and I’d be willing to bet that it’s the homeowner’s responsibility since the sidewalk is so far up into their yard. Doesn’t look like anyone lives there and obviously the actual homeowner doesn’t give a shit so that’s why that happened. The town also apparently does a bad job of patrolling and just checking up on stuff like that judging by how bad the yard was in general.

23. Typically owned by the city but maintenance is responsibility of homeowner whose home it’s in front of.

24. The property owner is responsible to make sure it’s cleared and free of weeds and snow and junk.

    The city however will repair broken concrete sidewalks or remove trees or plant trees.

25. Where I grew up, the property owners were responsible for keeping it clear of snow and debris but any construction or replacement was the responsibility of the town.

26. My current neighborhood has an HOA, and they maintain sidewalks. At my previous home, it was up to the homeowner, but our city did allocate some funds for people to apply for if they needed to repair sidewalks but couldn’t afford it.

27. Im in the suburbs but outside my nearest town’s “city limits” so I’m responsible for the maintenance – as in clearing the snow and making sure its walkable. If the sidewalk actually crumbles and needs to be replaced I’m not sure, I’d have to call the county and figure that out. I dont think thats on me, but maybe?

    In any case, nobody actually enforces any of that shit in my neighborhood and I just keep mine nice cause I dont want my house looking like a dump.

28. It’s the home owner here. The city can even mandate you have to repair the sidewalk on your property, but I’ve not seen them use that. Typically if it’s that bad they’ll make a project out of it for replacement.

29. It’s honestly a “it depends” answer. Private property is privately maintained like the sidewalks around the house but if it’s a public sidewalk then it’s usually some government level that needs it maintained

30. It depends on the laws of the municipality you’re in.

31. Homeowners are responsible for keeping the sidewalks safe to use in my city: ice and snow must be cleared during winter, cracks that could trip walkers must be repaired.

32. Resident maintains. City installs.

    If some tiles need replaced. which the city decides with zero transparency or appeal process. Then you have to pay for part of the replacement to the tune of 600$ a tile.

33. in the town I just moved from, responsibiility rests with the property owner. Many homes have no frontage so the front yard is essentially the public sidewalk, but is also an extension of the property.