Charleston County, SC Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Extermination duty holder
- owner of any 1+ unit building
- Garbage rule
- stored so it can't feed rodents
- Pests covered
- insects, rodents, wood-destroying organisms, other pests
- Common area sanitation
- owner's duty in multi-unit buildings
- Enforcement path
- Building Official investigation, § 113.2 hearing
Summary
Charleston County's unsafe-dwellings ordinance makes every property owner responsible for exterminating rodents, insects and other pests, and requires garbage stored so it can't feed rodents. Sec. 4-28, §§ 113.4.9 and 113.5.4.3 place that extermination duty on the owner of any building with one or more dwelling units.
113.4.9 Garbage Disposal: Every owner or tenant shall dispose of all his garbage and any other organic waste which might provide food for rodents and all rubbish in a clean and sanitary manner. ... 113.5.4.3 Extermination: Every owner of a single dwelling building and every owner of a building containing two or more dwelling units shall be responsible for the extermination of any insects, rodents, wood-destroying organisms, or other pests within the building or premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
9 of the county's building code (Sec. 4-28) requires 'every owner or tenant' to dispose of garbage and other organic waste 'which might provide food for rodents' along with all rubbish 'in a clean and sanitary manner,' tying routine trash handling directly to rodent prevention. ' Read together, the two sections cover both prevention, keeping food sources like uncontained garbage away from the property, and cure, actually eliminating an infestation once it exists. 2, and an owner who does not act can be ordered to repair, alter, or vacate the property.
2 separately requires each tenant to keep their own occupied space clean, a landlord with a multi-unit building carries the extermination and common-area sanitation duty even where individual tenants are separately responsible for their own units.
Violations & Fines
A property that stays infested or keeps garbage in a way that feeds rodents can trigger a Building Official investigation and hearing under § 113.2, leading to a repair or vacate order. Ignoring the extermination and sanitation duties in §§ 113.4.9 and 113.5.4.3 is enforced through Chapter 4's general misdemeanor and penalty provision, § 115.4, which applies South Carolina magistrates' court maximum fines when no specific penalty is set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for pest control at a rental property in Charleston County?
Does the county regulate how garbage is stored to prevent rodents?
What can the county do if a property has a rodent infestation?
In a multi-unit building, who handles pest control in common areas?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston County
Compare Charleston County to another location·View the South Carolina public health rules overview
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