Abandoned buildings in Reading could face ‘vacant property registry’ with recurring fees | Reading Area

READING, Pa. – Reading’s inventory of empty buildings could soon draw some extra attention.

During Reading City Council’s Committee of the Whole Monday night, Community Development Director David Barr presented council with the details of a proposed ordinance that would mandate a vacant property registry (VPR) for the owners of vacant buildings.

“Local governments began enacting VPR ordinances to discourage vacancies, identify owners of vacant properties, and ensure those owners maintain them to community standards,” Barr said. “The VPR list identifies and accounts for unoccupied properties throughout the municipality and ensures owners actively maintain, preserve and manage the property to ensure it does not become a blight to the community.”

Barr added that Reading started a VPR list in early 2024 but limited it to only be used for foreclosed properties.

“We are asking council to approve an ordinance to expand the program to include all vacant properties,” Barr said. “We estimate this would add about 2,500 vacant properties to the system.”

“Too many property owners purchase properties in the city and let them remain vacant,” he said. “This often leads to neglect, deferred maintenance, squatting, blight and occasionally collapse. The prevalence of these vacant and sometimes derelict properties in the city is an absolute disgrace, and the owners should be ashamed.”

The proposal would require property owners of abandoned or vacant buildings to register those properties within 10 days of the property becoming vacant or abandoned.

In addition to registration, the ordinance would require owners to ensure that vacant or abandoned properties remain secure and compliant with city codes.

“We would like owners of vacant or abandoned properties — including government, residential, commercial and institutional buildings that are not actively being marketed — to register,” Barr said. “There is an initial registration fee followed by a semiannual — every six month — fee depending on how long the property has been vacant.”

That fee would begin at $500 every six months for the first two years, but could rise to $5,000 every six months for a property vacant for more than 10 years.

Councilmembers had specific questions but generally said they support the idea.

Councilmember Chris Miller said people in the neighborhoods will be ecstatic about the program.

“When we talk about blight, it’s usually the things that you can see from the exterior,” Miller said. “But when we talk about abandoned properties, I think this is when we see neighbors really get frustrated because nobody knows what’s happening inside the property, whether it’s illegal activity or there’s something structural.”

Barr said he would like to see the program begin in September, and council may see the ordinance introduced at next Monday’s meeting.