Key facts (checked Oct 11, 2026)
- Registration: within 30 days after a building has been vacant six consecutive months (City Code §4-27, Sec. 120.0).
- Annual fee by years vacant on Nov. 1: $0 / $500 / $2,500 / $5,000 / $10,000 / $12,000 (2025 fee sheet).
- The years-vacant count follows the property, "regardless of varying ownership" (fee sheet).
- Appeal: $50 filing fee, within 30 calendar days of the bill (Sec. 120.0(b)(4)).
- Vacant property administrator: (302) 576-3096, vacantproperty@wilmingtonde.gov.
When does Wilmington require vacant property registration?
Under the current City Code, a Wilmington building must be registered within 30 days after it has been vacant for six consecutive months, and again within 30 days of a change in ownership. It applies whether the building is secured, open, boarded, or move-in ready. A building is vacant if nobody lawfully lives in any part of it.
Source: Wilmington City Code §4-27, Section 120.0(b) (checked Oct 11, 2026). Older city materials, including a 2017 city announcement, describe an earlier 45-day trigger that the six-month rule replaced. If a city page or letter you received says 45 days, call Licenses and Inspections (L&I) to confirm which rule they are applying to your property.
Registration is done on the city's Vacant Property Registration Form. If the owner is an estate, the form asks for the executor's name and business address.
How much is Wilmington's vacant property fee?
The annual fee is based on how many years the building has been vacant as of November 1. Under the City Code and the city's 2025 fee sheet, it is $0 for less than one year, $500 for one year, $2,500 for two, $5,000 for three, $10,000 for four and $12,000 for five or more.
| Years vacant as of Nov. 1 | Current code and 2025 fee sheet | 2017 proposed schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 | $0 | $0 |
| 1 to under 2 | $500 | $500 |
| 2 to under 3 | $2,500 | $1,000 |
| 3 to under 4 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| 4 to under 5 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| 5 to under 6 | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| 6 to under 7 | $12,000 | $14,000 |
| 7 or more | $12,000 | $16,000, plus $2,000 for each year beyond seven |
Two schedules, so confirm with L&I. The City Code (Sec. 120.0(b)(3)) and the Summary of Annual Vacant Registration Fees 2025 agree on the first column, which tops out at $12,000. The city's own November 2017 announcement described a steeper proposed schedule (second column) that we could not find in the current code. We use the code schedule as the default in our vacant property fee calculator, but your bill is what counts. Call L&I at (302) 576-3096 before relying on either.
When are Wilmington vacant property fees billed and due?
The city mails fee notices on or before November 1 each year, and payment is due by the first business day of January. Whoever owns the property on November 1 is responsible for that year's fee, which matters if you are buying or selling in the fall.
Sources: Vacant Property Registration Program and Sec. 120.0(b)(2)-(3). If the fee isn't paid within 30 days after it is due, the code allows civil fines. Failing to register carries a $500 civil fine and, if still not registered 30 days later, $10 per day (Sec. 120.0(f)); the city's fee sheet and appeal page describe fines of $100 to $500. The fee sheet says unpaid fees become a lien on the property, and the code says properties with unpaid fees can be subject to monition (a tax-sale-style court process).
Can I get a Wilmington vacant property fee waived?
Yes, possibly once. The code allows a one-time waiver if you apply within 30 days of the bill, have paid any past-due fees, and show the building is being demolished, rehabbed or substantially repaired, or that you are actively trying to sell or lease it. One extension of up to 12 months is allowed.
- One-time waiver and extension: Sec. 120.0(b)(5). The city's appeal page stresses the waiver is one-time only, past-due fees can't be waived, and the property must be registered.
- "Occupancy ready" buildings with a certificate of occupancy (or that meet code) and are actively listed for sale or rent pay no fee for up to two consecutive billing cycles, with up to two one-year extensions (Sec. 120.0(b)(3), (b)(7)). They still must register.
- Abatement agreement: the city may void delinquent fees if the owner gets a certificate of occupancy or completion within one year of the agreement, with a work scope, proof of funds and a contractor (Sec. 120.0(e)).
- Buyers from the Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, and certain nonprofit housing providers, have their fee measured from their purchase rather than the full vacancy.
How do I appeal a Wilmington vacant property fee?
File an appeal with the Licenses and Inspections Review Board within 30 calendar days of the billing statement, with a $50 filing fee. You carry the burden of proving the building was occupied. Past-due fees and fees already paid for prior years can't be appealed.
The code says the $50 is refunded if the appeal succeeds (Sec. 120.0(b)(4)); the city's appeal page calls it non-refundable. A denied waiver can be appealed within 15 days of the Commissioner's decision, per the fee sheet. Appeals go to the Board of Licenses & Inspections Review, 800 N. French St., 3rd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. Keep utility bills, a lease, or other proof of occupancy.
What happens to vacant property fees when you sell?
Selling does not reset the clock. The fee sheet says years vacant are counted regardless of changes in ownership, the buyer must re-register within 30 days, and the seller must notify L&I within 30 days of the sale. Unpaid fees can become a lien that a title search will find.
Sources: Sec. 120.0(b)(3), Register a Vacant Property, fee sheet. No city source we found says the fee must be paid at settlement, but any recorded lien or open balance usually gets paid from the seller's proceeds so the buyer gets clear title. That is a question for your settlement attorney.
Because the fee follows the property, a house that has been vacant four years can carry a $10,000 to $12,000 bill every November for whoever owns it. That cost is why many owners sell before the next November 1. A cash buyer prices the next bill into the offer; a retail buyer will usually want it resolved first.
What if the house is outside Wilmington in New Castle County?
Unincorporated New Castle County has its own vacant property registration, with a fee from the first year: $250 under one year, $750 for one to two years, $2,500 for two to three years, $5,000 for three to five years, and $7,500 plus $1,000 for each year over five.
The county requires registration within 90 days of vacancy. Renewal notices go out on or about November 1 and the fee is due before January 1. The county adds $100 for each inspection while the property stays vacant, and a building vacant for three consecutive years needs an inspection report from a design professional. These amounts come from Substitute No. 1 to Ordinance 25-046 (New Castle County Code Chapter 7, Article 2), linked from the county's Vacant Property Registration page. Other towns, such as Newark or New Castle, may have their own rules. The vacant property fee calculator has a New Castle County option. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Should I sell a vacant Wilmington house before November 1?
If you don't plan to rehab or rent it soon, the math often says yes. Each November 1 the fee steps up, and the owner on that date pays it. Add taxes, insurance on a vacant building and code risk, and holding a vacant Wilmington house gets more expensive every year.
Run your numbers with the vacant property fee calculator, then compare a sale with fixing and listing. We buy vacant houses in Wilmington as-is, including ones with open code violations; see selling a vacant house. Call (302) 525-0787.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Delaware sales close at a licensed Delaware settlement attorney; Maryland and Pennsylvania sales close at a licensed title company or settlement attorney.
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Get My Written Offer Call (302) 525-0787Frequently asked questions
How long can a house be vacant in Wilmington before I must register it?
Under the current City Code, register within 30 days after the building has been vacant for six consecutive months (§4-27, Sec. 120.0). Confirm with L&I if you received a notice citing a different period.
How much is the Wilmington vacant property fee?
Based on years vacant as of November 1: $0 under one year, $500, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, and $12,000 at five years or more, per the City Code and 2025 fee sheet. A steeper 2017 proposal also appears on the city site, so confirm with L&I.
When is the Wilmington vacant property fee due?
Notices are mailed by November 1, and payment is due by the first business day of January.
Does selling the house reset the vacancy clock?
No. The city's fee sheet says years vacant are counted regardless of changes in ownership. The new owner must re-register within 30 days.
Can I appeal a vacant property fee?
Yes, within 30 calendar days of the bill, with a $50 filing fee, to the Licenses and Inspections Review Board. You must prove occupancy.
Sources
- Wilmington City Code §4-27, Section 120.0 (Municode)
- City of Wilmington: Summary of Annual Vacant Registration Fees 2025
- City of Wilmington: Vacant Property Registration Program
- City of Wilmington: Register a Vacant Property
- City of Wilmington: Appeal a Vacant Property Fee
- City of Wilmington: Vacant Property Registration Form
- City of Wilmington news, Nov. 6, 2017 (proposed schedule)
General information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Facts checked Oct 11, 2026 against the official sources above. Laws, fees, and schedules change; confirm with the office named or your attorney.
