Thousand Oaks Grass Height Limits Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Thousand Oaks does not publish a single bright-line maximum grass height in its municipal code the way some cities do. Instead, overgrown grass on improved residential or commercial property is addressed through the public nuisance framework in Municipal Code Section 11-3.02, which defines conditions that are offensive, dangerous, or detrimental to public health, safety, or welfare as public nuisances subject to abatement. Code Compliance officers apply a reasonableness standard: grass that is clearly unkempt, dead, or fire-prone on an otherwise improved lot will typically trigger a notice of violation. In practice, grass over roughly 8 to 12 inches on a maintained residential lot is likely to draw a complaint and citation. Dead or dry grass that lies on the ground is particularly problematic because it constitutes a fire fuel accumulation under both the municipal nuisance code and Ventura County Fire Department regulations.

The more stringent and operationally significant grass height standards in Thousand Oaks arise from its location in or adjacent to High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones near the Santa Monica Mountains. Properties within these zones — which include large portions of the city’s northern and western neighborhoods — are subject to VCFD Defensible Space standards that govern vegetation throughout the 100-foot defensible space perimeter. Within Zone 1 (0 to 30 feet from the structure), live grasses and herbaceous plants must be kept irrigated and green throughout the fire season, or cut and maintained at 3 inches or less in height. Dry, non-irrigated grasses within this zone must be removed entirely. Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet) requires reduction of fine fuels, meaning tall dead grass must be mowed or disced before fire season begins. These standards are enforced through annual VCFD defensible space inspections and can result in citations and mandatory abatement orders.

Property owners subject to California’s AB 38 disclosure requirements — those selling homes in fire hazard severity zones — must document compliance with defensible space and vegetation management rules before escrow closes. Thousand Oaks Code Compliance can be reached at (805) 449-2340. Ventura County Fire Department conducts annual defensible space inspections and may be reached at (805) 389-9700. HOAs throughout the city commonly impose more precise grass height limits in their CC&Rs, often capping turf at 4 to 6 inches, and enforce these independently of city code.