Graffiti By-Law
The City of Vaughan is responsible for removing graffiti found on all City facilities and public property.
Report graffiti
- For graffiti on City property, report it online or call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281.
- For graffiti or vandalism on hydro boxes, contact Alectra Inc.
- For graffiti or vandalism on mailboxes, contact Canada Post.
Obscene, racist or derogatory graffiti is considered a hate crime and should be reported to York Regional Police’s non-emergency line at 905-832-1221.
About the by-law
The Anti-graffiti By-law 46-2009 (PDF) prohibits graffiti on public and private property and requires all properties to be kept free of graffiti. Graffiti is a marking spray painted or handwritten on building walls or structures without consent of the property owner.
Rules
- No one must allow, cause or permit graffiti to be placed on any property.
- The owner of a property must maintain the property (including walls and fences) and ensure it is free of graffiti.
Enforcement
- A person, owner or corporation found in violation of this by-law will be issued a “Notice to Comply.”
- A person who is convicted of an offence may be fined up to $20,000, and up to $50,000 for subsequent offences.
- A corporation that is convicted of an offence may be fined up to $50,000, and up to $100,000 for subsequent offences.
-
Answer
There are steps you can take to help prevent graffiti from happening on your property.
- Clean and maintain your property.
- Install lighting on your property. Use a motion detector and install it high enough that it is out of reach – graffiti vandals prefer the darkness.
- Landscape your property. Plant shrubs, ivy or vines in front of blank walls – this discourages vandalism.
- Rid your property of litter and encourage your neighbours to do the same – a littered environment may invite graffiti.
- Remove any existing graffiti on your property.
- This will help prevent more acts of vandalism.
- Add a can of spray remover to your supplies. Having it on hand ensures prompt graffiti removal.
- Keep a record of the paint colour of exterior walls. This information will allow you to purchase more paint if required to cover graffiti.
-
Answer
If you find graffiti on your property, here are some ways you can remove it swiftly:
- Spray remover is most effective in removing graffiti on painted or smooth surfaces, such as glass, metal, plastic or vinyl.
- Power washing is most effective in removing spray paint on sensitive surfaces that are not painted, such as stone and cement.
- Paint is most effective in removing graffiti on painted surfaces. Cover the vandalized area with the matching-coloured paint, as required.
- A mural is most effective in deterring future graffiti. Cover the area with an attractive mural to keep vandals away.
You can also use an anti-graffiti coating or sealer on surfaces to make any future graffiti easy to remove.
-
Answer
Graffiti impacts a community in several ways, including:
- costing taxpayers money to paint or repair any damage that it causes.
- leading to additional graffiti and vadalism in the area where it appears.
- affecting the environment; harmful chemicals are released when graffiti is applied or when it is cleaned.
- offending or hurting individuals when it is obscene, racist or derogatory towards a person or a community. Graffiti of this nature is considered a hate crime and should be reported to the York Regional Police non-emergency line at 1-866-876-5423.