Southfield Community Appearance Standards

Every resident and business owner has a vested interest in maintaining property values by keeping Southfield clean and attractive. The City of Southfield is committed to working with residents and businesses to keep Southfield beautiful.

Residents are reminded of the following community appearance standards:

• Weeds and grass must be cut on a regular basis. Lawn grass should not exceed eight-inches in length and weeds may not exceed 12 inches at any time.
• Trash is not to be placed at the curb before 4 p.m. the evening prior to collection. Refuse is limited to 60 pounds of material and must be placed in plastic bags or waste containers no larger than 32-gallon capacity. All containers must be removed no later than noon the day following trash collection.
• Yard waste must be placed in approved paper yard waste bags or in a rigid container clearly marked ‘yard waste.’ Yard waste in plastic bags will not be accepted. Yard waste includes leaves, grass clippings, branches, brush and other organic material only.
• Unlicensed or inoperable vehicles may not be parked outside of a garage. The repair of vehicles is not permitted on residential property. 
• Outside storage is not permitted, except in industrial zones. Outside storage constitutes anything placed outside that is not in immediate use. Outside storage of recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, boats, travel trailers and mobile homes exceeding 20-feet in length is not permitted and must be stored offsite. Recreational vehicles, boats and travel trailers less than 20-feet in length may be stored in the backyard only.
• Buildings must be maintained according to City code regulations, including no peeling or weathered paint, cracked or broken glass, fallen gutters, litter or debris, or other maintenance issues.

Residents are also reminded that yard waste pickup and branch chipping takes place each week on residents’ designated trash collection day. Yard waste includes leaves, grass clippings, branches, brush and other organic material only. Branches and brush refuse must be placed with the cut ends towards the curb on the regular trash collection day. Other yard waste must be placed in approved paper yard waste bags or in a rigid container clearly marked ‘Yard Waste.’ Yard waste in plastic bags will not be accepted. For more information, contact the Public Works Department at (248) 796-4860.

Southfield Solutions App and Web Reporting Platform

The City of Southfield partnered with QScend Technologies to launch the Southfield Solutions platform that allows residents to directly report quality-of-life issues and request city services all from the convenience of their smart phone, tablet or computer. With the free Southfield Solutions mobile app and web tools, Southfield residents and businesses can provide City of Southfield staff with photographs, specific descriptions, geo-locating and more — valuable information needed to resolve an issue efficiently. In addition, the Southfield Solutions platform provides Southfield officials with a centralized issue management system to manage issues from the initial report to resolution — engaging the community throughout the process.

The Southfield Solutions mobile app is available for free download on Android at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qscend.report2gov.southfieldsolutions and iPhone at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/southfield-solutions/id1500931950. In addition to the mobile apps, citizens can send reports directly to the City of Southfield website at www.cityofsouthfield.com.

Eyes on Southfield Community Appearance Hotline

The City of Southfield launched the “Eyes on Southfield” program to enable residents to notify the City with ease when a code or blight issue is observed. Residents may simply call (248) 796-EYES (3937) 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week to report code issues or violations. With an increased focus on curb appeal, the Southfield Code Enforcement Department will respond to most complaints within a 24- to 48-hour time period. Code Enforcement Officers canvass the City seven days-a-week to monitor the condition of Southfield homes and neighborhoods. In addition, the City relies on the “eyes and ears” of the entire community to report any obvious or extreme code violations. When a violation exists, code officers will inform the resident or business of the issue and educate them how to correct it. If another violation occurs at the same property, the home or business owner will be issued a civil infraction and must appear in court.

Southfield residents are encouraged to report potential code or blight issues through the Southfield Solutions app or by calling the City’s special “Eyes on Southfield” hotline, (248) 796-EYES (3937). Together, we can keep Southfield beautiful!