Albany, NY Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- City Code § 231-93
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance
- Notice before remediation
- At least 48 hours
- Cost for one-family rentals
- Occupant pays extermination
- Rat/vermin proofing
- Windows, openings must be screened
Summary
Albany's Housing Code requires every building to stay free of insects, vermin and rodents, with landlords on the hook for extermination and tenants required to cooperate with remediation.
Grounds, buildings and structures shall be maintained free of insects, vermin and rodent harborage and infestation... The occupant of a one-family rental dwelling shall be responsible for the costs associated with any extermination on the premises. No tenant shall willfully refuse to comply with reasonable written instructions from a landlord, pest control operator or the Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance to prepare the dwelling unit for remediation... at least 48 hours prior to remediation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4873446; v61 updated 2026-03-18; through 03-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 231-93, grounds, buildings and structures citywide must be kept free of insect, vermin and rodent harborage. When the Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance identifies a pest, bedbug or rodent infestation after an inspection or complaint, it contacts the owner and requires proof of extermination. Neighboring units must also be treated if a professional exterminator finds evidence of spread, and tenants who refuse to cooperate with at least 48 hours' written notice to prepare a unit are in violation.
Violations & Fines
Owners who fail to exterminate or provide proof of pest control service face code enforcement action; tenants who willfully refuse reasonable written remediation instructions after 48 hours' notice also violate the section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for pest extermination in Albany?
Can a tenant refuse an exterminator's instructions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albany
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Albany County handle rodent control.