Sell a Vacant House or a House With Code Violations
Every month vacant costs something. The offer shows how much.
Long-vacant houses collect code notices, squatters, copper theft, and utility shutoffs, and each one shrinks what a retail buyer will pay. Vacant properties are bought in that condition, with the open violations and the missing plumbing accounted for on the offer. The holding costs stop at closing.
Who this is for
- Owners of a house that has sat empty for months or years
- Owners who have received a code enforcement notice or citation
- Houses with unauthorized occupants or break-in damage
Why vacant and cited houses struggle to sell
Open code cases can prevent a lender from funding and can follow the property to the next owner. Vacant houses with shut-off utilities cannot be fully inspected, and missing plumbing or wiring can fail a lender's habitability standards.
Unauthorized occupants are a legal matter, not a cleaning job, and removing them follows California procedures.
Violations priced, not hidden
The cash column lists each open violation and each missing system as a deduction. The open-market column shows the cost and time to clear the violations, restore utilities and list.
What this looks like in practice: a Pomona house with a code enforcement notice for overgrowth and an unpermitted carport.
Another: a Fontana house empty for a long stretch, with copper stripped from the walls and the water shut off.
Another: an Ontario house with unauthorized occupants, where the owner needs the situation reflected honestly in both numbers.
What the offer sheet lists
Each violation, each missing or damaged system, security and board-up items, and any recorded code liens you know of. The open-market column adds the monthly holding cost of keeping the house through repairs and a listing.
There is no cost and no obligation to get the two numbers and the written report.
How each column is built: see how both numbers are built.
Offer sheet
- Property
- your address here
- Written after
- the in-person walkthrough
| Line item | As-is cash offer | Open-market read |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Purchase priceyour number here | Likely list priceyour number here |
| Repairs | Condition deductions, line by lineyour number here | Repairs before listingyour number here |
| Clean-out | Clean-outNot required. Contents stay. | Clean-out and stagingyour number here |
| Carrying costs | Carrying costsStop at closing | Carrying costs while listedyour number here |
| Commissions | Closing costsyour number here | Commissions and closing costsyour number here |
| Close date | Close dateThe date you pick | Close dateAfter listing and escrow |
| Net to you | Net to youyour number here | Net to youyour number here |
Figures depend on the in-person walkthrough and the comparable sales on your blocks. A cash offer is generally below what the open market would bring; the open-market read is an estimate, not an appraisal.
What we need from you
- The property address and city
- Any code notices, citations or case numbers
- Utility status and access
- Whether anyone is living in the house without permission
How the timeline works
The walkthrough documents the violations as they are. Closing follows your date once title is clear; open code cases and any liens they created are identified by title and escrow before closing.
Common questions
Do I have to fix code violations before selling?
Not for a cash sale, though you must disclose what you know and some cases may need the city's involvement at transfer. The open-market column shows what clearing them first would cost and earn.
There are people living in the house without permission. What now?
Tell us at the start. Removing unauthorized occupants follows California legal procedures, and how that affects each path is written into both numbers. Talk to an attorney about the process.
Can you buy a house with the utilities shut off?
Yes. The walkthrough notes what could not be tested, and the offer accounts for it.
If the house is also one of these
- Out-of-state ownerSell the house without booking a flight.
- Unpermitted additionsThe square footage nobody permitted, priced as it actually exists.
- Fire, water and repairsCompare the cash number with what an insurance-funded rebuild would actually net.
- Tax liensThe liens get paid from the sale. The offer shows what is left.
Where this comes up
- Vacant and code violations in Pomona
Long-vacant houses with code enforcement notices, where each open item is priced on the offer.
- Vacant and code violations in Ontario
Vacant houses with shut-off utilities or unauthorized occupants.
City pages: Claremont, Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, Glendora, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills.
Code enforcement and occupant removal are governed by city codes and California law; consult the city and your own attorney. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or financial advice. Any offer is subject to the in-person walkthrough, title and a written purchase agreement.
Send the address. Get both numbers.
Tell us about the house and the vacant and code violations situation. A professional walks it in person, then both numbers arrive in writing with the comps, the deductions, and your net.
Rather talk it through? Call or text (909) 498-3977
Based in Claremont. Nothing to fix, clean, or empty first.