Wilmington Code Ch. 17 (Health) and Ch. 21 (Housing) require property owners to keep buildings free of rats, roaches, and bedbugs. The Department of Licenses & Inspections handles complaints in rental and vacant properties.
Wilmington's row-house density and aging infrastructure create persistent rodent and pest pressure. Code Ch. 17 (Health) and Ch. 21 (Housing) make property owners responsible for extermination and exclusion measures (sealing holes, screening vents, securing trash). Landlords must address infestations between tenants and during occupancy under Delaware Landlord-Tenant Code (Title 25 Ch. 53). Bedbug treatment costs are typically the landlord's responsibility unless the lease shifts them. The state Department of Agriculture licenses pest control operators under Title 3.
L&I issues abatement orders; failure to comply can lead to fines, vacate orders, and city-led extermination billed to the owner.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Wilmington, DE
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Wilmington, DE
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Wilmington, DE
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See how Wilmington's pest control rules stack up against other locations.
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