Erie regulates rodent and insect infestation through the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (enforced by the Bureau of Code Enforcement) and Article 1129 (Quality of Life Ticketing Program). IPMC Section 309 requires extermination of pests by the owner of structures and shared infestations in multifamily buildings; Sections 304.5 and 308 require rodent-proofing of exterior openings and approved garbage containers.
Erie enforces pest control through the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) administered by the Office of Development Services Bureau of Code Enforcement, supplemented by Article 1129 (Quality of Life Ticketing Program) of the Codified Ordinances. IPMC Section 309 ('Pest Elimination') makes pest elimination the responsibility of the owner of any structure or premise infested with insects, rats, vermin, or other pests, and shifts responsibility to the tenant only in single-family rental units where the lease assigns it and only after the unit was delivered free of infestation. In multifamily buildings of two or more dwelling units the owner is responsible for pest elimination in all common areas and in any infestation that affects more than one unit. IPMC Section 304.5 and Section 308 require that exterior openings, basement hatchways, windows, and ventilation openings be rodent-proofed: cracks larger than 1/2 inch must be sealed, vent openings must be covered with corrosion-resistant wire mesh of no more than 1/4 inch openings, and any opening through which a rat could pass must be closed. Section 308 separately requires that all garbage be stored in approved, watertight, rodent-proof containers with tight-fitting lids. Erie's Code Enforcement Division (814-870-1480) inspects on complaint and during the Residential Rental Registration program's bi-annual inspections under Article 330. Bed bug infestations in rental units are treated as IPMC 309 infestations triggering owner-funded extermination by a licensed Pennsylvania pesticide applicator under the Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act (3 Pa. C.S.A. Section 128). Article 1129 also enables a quality-of-life ticket for improper storage of trash and rubbish that attracts vermin.
IPMC violations are enforced by Erie Code Enforcement through Notices of Violation. Failure to abate within the period stated in the notice (typically 30 days, shorter for severe public-health hazards) can lead to escalating administrative fines and city-contracted abatement charged back to the owner as a municipal lien. Severe infestations in rental units may trigger revocation of the Residential Rental Registration permit under Article 330 and a notice of unfit for human habitation. PA Pesticide Control Act violations can carry separate civil penalties up to $1,000 per offense plus license suspension.
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