Is It Illegal to Not Mow Your Lawn? The Surprising Answer

Before you’re tempted to let your lawn go and forget about it, you should know a few things that might happen. Other than the grass getting overwhelming and harboring various diseases and pests, you might also get hit with some serious legal troubles. It turns out mowing the lawn has more than one benefit!

It’s illegal to not mow your lawn if you live in a city or within a Home Owner’s Association that requires you to maintain the yard. Overgrown grass can lead to fines and many other legal issues that you don’t want to deal with. Mowing too late or early can also cause disturbing the peace calls.

In this article, we’ll show you why you should have a regular lawn care routine to avoid legal issues, what will happen if you don’t tend to the lawn, and when it’s too early or late. We’ll also discuss other yard care legal issues, like letting your hedges overgrown or causing a disturbance by mowing too loudly at night.

Do You Have to Mow Your Lawn?

You have to mow your lawn in HOAs, rental properties (if it’s in the agreement), and most cities. If you don’t mow your lawn, you might have to deal with legal matters, including fines, suspensions of public pools, and jail time. Some places allow you to remove your grass in favor of flowers, rocks, and so on.

Not only is it nice to mow your lawn to avoid legal issues, but it’s also courteous to your neighbors. Mowing the lawn keeps your neighborhood looking uniform and in great condition. It’s incredibly obvious if one person neglects their lawn on a block with manicured yards.

Your Green Pal mentions that some HOAs and rental properties will prevent you from accessing pools, dog parks, and other amenities in the neighborhood. It might not seem like a big deal, but the suspensions will get increasingly more frustrating.

If your lawnmower is too loud, you might want to get it fixed before jumping on the next yard project. Loud lawnmowers can get a disturbance call from your neighbors. It makes it even more difficult to maintain the grass if you have people calling about your mower when you’re just trying to keep the yard looking nice.

Those who are curious about what happens when you let your lawn go should read on.

What Happens if You Don’t Mow Your Grass?

If you don’t mow your grass, fungus will grow, mold and mildew will form, and insects will swarm the lawn. Furthermore, failure to mow your lawn can bring invasive weeds that steal the nutrients and water from the grass. This process kills the grass and ruins the lawn’s appearance.

Here’s an in-depth look at what happens when you don’t mow your grass:

• Your lawn will be filled with weeds, fungi, and more. If you have untrimmed hedges, they’re likely going to get too big, too. There are many ways to style your hedges without too much maintenance. The same goes for mowing your lawn. Following a routine schedule will prevent these problems, including the ones mentioned below.
• You’ll likely have the police or HOA called by your neighbors if the grass gets too out of hand. According to Lawn Starter, HOAs have a lot of control over your lawn and garden. They can enforce fees, warnings, suspensions, and a host of other issues on your life if you don’t manage the yard.
• The city might leave notices on your door about maintaining the yard. These warnings are typically the first step toward fines and other problems. Most HOAs don’t want to contact the authorities, so they’ll send several notices before doing so. They might also charge you a regular fee to hire a lawn care service.
• You might have to pay fines or lose your rental property if the grass isn’t managed. If you rent a house that states you have to maintain the grass, not mowing it isn’t illegal, but you can get evicted. Much like HOAs, rental agreements usually don’t want to kick you out right away. They’ll try to work with you if possible.

Not mowing your grass might seem like a good idea for a couple of weeks, but it’ll eventually be more problematic than anything else. While it saves a lot of time, you’ll have to deal with fines and complaints that make it detrimental to neglect the grass.

The bright side is that you can switch to xeriscaping (using native low-maintenance plants and rocks) or switch to a garden yard. You would never have to mow the grass again. However, make sure that’s okay with your HOA or rental agreement if you have one.

Is It Illegal to Mow Your Lawn Early in the Morning?

It’s illegal to mow your lawn early in the morning if it’s before the city’s quiet hours end. Most places have quiet time ranging from 8 PM to 8 AM or 10 PM to 8 AM. Check your town’s regulations before mowing the lawn too early, and don’t forget to consider the proper lawn care etiquette.

So, you’ve decided to mow your lawn to avoid doing anything illegal, but you’re worried about mowing too early. People can call the police if you’re being too loud during the city’s quiet hours. They can also complain to the HOA or rental property manager.

We’ve listed all sorts of helpful suggestions on our lawnmowing etiquette guide to help you create the perfect time block for mowing the grass. Once you read it, you won’t have to worry about mowing too early or too late. Your neighbors will thank you, and you won’t have to deal with the police.

In Conclusion

Mowing your lawn is required by many towns, HOA’s, and rental agreements. If you neglect the lawn and let it overgrown, you might be required to leave your home, pay a fine, or deal with jail time. Contact your city or HOA for more information about what might happen if you don’t maintain the yard.