Belgian City Fines Residents for Weeds on Sidewalks

The city of Tienen in Flemish Brabant will deploy inspectors in September 2026 to check whether sidewalks are properly maintained, with residents who fail to remove weeds from the pavement in front of their homes facing GAS fines (administrative sanctions) of at least 100 euros, according to VRT NWS.

While most Belgians know they must clear snow from the sidewalk in front of their door during winter, far fewer are aware that they are also legally responsible for removing weeds from that same pavement year-round. The obligation is enshrined in the police regulations of many Flemish cities and municipalities, though enforcement has historically been lax.

Tienen’s Enforcement Plan

Tienen is now tightening enforcement. The city announced on Facebook that new controls will be carried out in September regarding weeds on sidewalks. Residents of poorly maintained properties will receive a letter asking them to comply within fourteen days; if they fail to do so, a GAS fine will be issued.

Mayor Jonathan Holslag (Durf) defended the measure, saying that taking care of one’s sidewalk is “a form of basic respect.” He noted that the rule has been in the city’s police regulation for years and that residents were informed during a sensitization campaign last year. “Now it becomes stricter, but most residents of Tienen cannot say they didn’t know,” Holslag told VRT NWS.

The mayor also emphasized that the city is doing its part. “We also make efforts to make our city cleaner bit by bit,” he said. “The technical service is sweeping more, and the parks are being cleaned more carefully. Overall cleanliness is a long-term effort, and residents also have to contribute their part. Otherwise it won’t work.”

A Broader Trend Across Flanders

Tienen is far from alone in enforcing sidewalk maintenance. The city of Mesen, Belgium’s smallest city, announced GAS fines of up to 125 euros for unkempt sidewalks back in 2019, as VRT NWS reported. A companion VRT NWS investigation from the same year found that the obligation to remove weeds, wild vegetation, objects, and materials appears in the police regulations of numerous Flemish municipalities, with requirements varying from place to place.

In Temse, the municipality launched a “yellow card” campaign in 2020, placing cards in mailboxes of homes with weeds on their sidewalks and warning of GAS fines up to 350 euros, as Editie Temse reported. Eeklo followed in 2023 with fines up to 250 euros, with community wardens conducting inspections, according to Redactie24. Other municipalities including Knokke-Heist, Kontich, and Hove have similar regulations, with fines ranging from 100 to 500 euros.

The GAS system itself allows municipalities to impose administrative fines for minor offenses that cause public nuisance, as explained on the Belgian federal government’s website. The maximum fine for adults was recently increased from 350 to 500 euros, as Nieuws365 reported.

The Pesticide Ban Context

A key factor driving this trend is Belgium’s ban on chemical weed killers. Since January 1, 2015, the use of pesticides by all public services has been prohibited, as documented by the Flemish government’s data portal. The ban also extends to private individuals, who may not apply pesticides to public spaces such as the sidewalk in front of their home, according to Fytoweb.

This has made weed control significantly more labor-intensive for municipalities, contributing to the shift of responsibility to residents. As the municipality of Kontich explains, residents must remove weeds manually using tools like hard brooms or hot water, as chemical products are prohibited.

Public Reaction and Implications

The enforcement in Tienen has generated significant public debate. The city’s Facebook posts about the enforcement drew hundreds of reactions and comments, with many residents expressing frustration. Common criticisms include that the city should maintain its own public spaces better before fining residents, that residents already pay taxes for such services, and that poorly constructed sidewalks are the root cause of weed growth.

However, some residents support the measure, arguing that keeping sidewalks clean is a basic civic duty. The municipality of Hove similarly emphasizes that residents are responsible for keeping the zone between their facade and the roadway weed-free.

For apartment buildings, the obligation typically falls on residents of the ground floor, as the city of Tienen noted in its April 2026 announcement. If no one lives on the ground floor, residents of the first floor are responsible.

What to Watch For

As the pesticide ban remains in place and the maximum GAS fine has been raised to 500 euros, the trend of municipalities enforcing sidewalk maintenance is likely to continue. The public backlash on social media suggests this could become a politically sensitive issue in local elections. For now, residents of Tienen and other Flemish municipalities would be well advised to keep a weeding tool handy.