Oshawa Long Grass Rules Explained: How Tall Can Your Lawn Get?

In Oshawa, grass and weeds can't grow taller than 20 cm (8 inches). That's the rule in the City's Lot Maintenance By-law 127-2007. The same limit covers the boulevard strip between your lot and the road. Owners and tenants both count. If an officer finds long grass, you can get a work order. Ignore it, and the City can cut it and add the bill to your property taxes.

What does Oshawa's long grass bylaw say?

The rule lives in the Lot Maintenance By-law, number 127-2007. The City's by-law page shows it was last updated in January 2024. It covers a lot more than grass. Standing water, waste, deep holes, graffiti and even bird feeders are in there too.

For lawns, the key line is short. No owner can let grass or weeds on a lot grow higher than 20 centimetres (8 inches). The by-law also says the metric number wins if the two ever differ. So 20 cm is the real limit.

Here's what the rule covers:

• Grass and weeds on your lot, front yard and back yard
• Grass and weeds on the boulevard beside your property
• Noxious weeds, which have to be removed at any height
• Waste, which includes grass clippings, leaves and brush

Who has to follow it?

The by-law defines "owner" as each owner and occupier of a lot. That means a tenant can be on the hook, not just the landlord. If you rent out a house, sort out who mows before the season starts.

Do you have to mow the boulevard in Oshawa?

Yes. This surprises a lot of people. The boulevard is the City strip between your property line and the road. In Oshawa, the by-law says every owner has to maintain the boulevard next to their property.

The same 20 cm (8 inch) limit applies there. No noxious weeds and no waste on the boulevard either. On a corner lot, that can mean two long strips of grass, one along the front and one along the side.

Is there help with corner lot boulevards?

There is, for some people. The City runs a side boulevard grass cutting program for seniors and people with disabilities. To qualify, you need to:

• Live in a single family home on a corner lot
• Have the side boulevard facing a City road, not a Regional Road
• Be 65 or older, or have a permanent or temporary disability
• Have no one under 65 without a disability living in the home

The program only covers the side boulevard. The front boulevard is still yours. City crews start in the first or second week of May and finish by October 15. They cut up to 13 times a year, normally every two weeks, with no set day. You have to renew with the City before April 1 each year.

Every two weeks is fine for a strip by the road. But in a wet May, the rest of your lawn needs more than that.

Can you plant a garden on the boulevard instead?

Maybe. The by-law makes room for boulevard gardens approved through the City's Boulevard Gardens program. The garden has to be looked after and follow the City's terms. Ask Service Oshawa before you dig, since the boulevard is City land.

What about noxious weeds and clippings?

Noxious weeds are the plants listed under Ontario's Weed Control Act. Oshawa's by-law says owners must remove and destroy them, dead or alive. Two of the ways it lists are pulling them out and cutting them before their seeds ripen.

Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give advice on weed killers or other chemicals. The City itself can't spray dandelions because of Ontario's cosmetic pesticide ban.

Here's a detail people miss. The by-law counts grass clippings, leaves and brush as waste. Waste isn't allowed to sit on your lot or the boulevard. So a big pile of clippings by the fence can be a problem too. Spread them thin on the lawn, where they break down fast. Oshawa yard waste pickup won't take grass clippings anyway.

What happens if your grass is too long in Oshawa?

It usually starts with a report. Anyone can report long grass on private property, or on the boulevard in front of it, through Service Oshawa Online. You can also call Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311.

A by-law officer can then come out. The by-law lets officers enter a lot at any reasonable time to check.

What is a work order?

If the officer finds a problem, they can issue a work order. It names what's wrong, the work you need to do and the date to finish by. The order can be handed to you, emailed, mailed or posted on your door. A mailed order counts from the third day after it's sent.

That's why an empty house or a cottage season trip can catch you out. The order may be sitting on your front door while you're away.

What if you ignore it?

The by-law spells out what can follow:

• The City can do the work without telling you first, at your cost.
• You pay 15% interest on those costs until they're paid in full.
• The costs and interest can be added to your property tax roll.
• The amount can become a lien on your property.

Are there fines?

Yes. Oshawa uses administrative penalties for by-law breaks. The first one is 125 dollars. Get another for the same thing within a year and it's 225 dollars. After that, it's 325 dollars each time.

If it goes to court, the fine is 500 to 10,000 dollars for each day the offence goes on. The total for a continuing offence is capped at 100,000 dollars. Most people never get near that. But one missed month can still cost more than the mowing would have.

How fast does Oshawa grass reach 20 cm?

Faster than you'd think. The City suggests mowing at 2.5 to 3 inches to help keep weeds out. Durham Region says 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches), and never cut more than one third of the blade at once.

Do the math. A lawn kept at 7.5 cm (3 inches) only needs a couple of missed weeks in a fast spring to look shaggy. Then the one-third rule means you can't just chop it back in one go. It takes a few cuts to get it right again.

When are the risky times?

• Spring: Oshawa's lakeside weather station sees its last frost around April 29 on average. Growth takes off soon after.
• Vacations: two weeks away in June can push a lawn close to the limit.
• Rainy stretches: the grass keeps growing, but you can't mow it wet.
• Empty homes: a house for sale, a rental between tenants, or a parent's place after a move.
• Fall: first frost at the same station averages October 14, and grass keeps growing for a while after.

Our posts on when grass stops growing and the last mow of the season help you time the end of the year. To see how Oshawa's limit stacks up, read our guide to long grass bylaws in Canada.

How do you stay clear of the bylaw?

A few habits keep you well under 20 cm (8 inches):

1. Mow on a set day each week, and more often in a wet spring.
2. Mow the boulevard every time you mow the lawn, side strip included.
3. Trim along fences, posts, the curb and the sidewalk edge.
4. Pull noxious weeds before they go to seed.
5. Spread clippings on the lawn instead of piling them up.
6. Line up a backup before you travel, and tell them about the boulevard.

Clean trimming and edging matters as much as the mowing. Weeds along a fence or a hydro pole can top 20 cm even when the middle of the lawn looks fine. Those edges are what neighbours see from the street.

Your Oshawa lawn care page has more on local soil, odd-even watering days and yard waste pickup.

Can someone keep your lawn under the limit for you?

Yes. Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in Oshawa. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Your crew handles weekly lawn mowing, the boulevard, and trimming and edging. You keep the same crew every visit, and they text you a photo after every cut. That photo is handy if you own a rental or an empty house you can't drive past.

If your crew misses your scheduled window, that cut is free. Going away? Pause by text. You pay for the season up front, and booking through the Worry-Free Lawn Season gets you your first cut free.

We measure your lawn from satellite images, so nobody needs to visit. Your price comes by text in 60 minutes. It depends on lawn size, how often you mow, slopes, gates and any extra strips like a corner boulevard.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Oshawa Long Grass Bylaw Questions

Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: Oshawa Lot Maintenance By-law 127-2007, by-law library page, Oshawa grass cutting assistance, Oshawa weeds, plants and lawns, Oshawa yard waste, Durham Region water efficiency, Oshawa WPCP climate normals.