Apex, NC Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Apex Town Code § 5-96
- Default duty
- Occupant exterminates own unit
- Owner triggers
- Unsanitary dwelling or multi-unit infestation
- Screens required
- Basement/cellar openings rodent-proofed
- Penalty
- $100/day civil penalty (Sec. 1-8)
Summary
Apex's minimum housing code makes occupants responsible for exterminating insects and rodents in their own unit, but shifts that duty to the owner whenever the dwelling itself isn't rodent- or insect-proof, or multiple units are infested.
Infestation. Every occupant of a dwelling containing a single dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination of any insects, rodents or other pests therein or on the premises; and every occupant of a dwelling unit in a dwelling containing more than one dwelling unit shall be responsible for such extermination whenever such occupant's dwelling unit is the only one infested. Whenever infestation is caused by failure of the owner to maintain a dwelling in a rodentproof or reasonably insect-proof condition, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner. Whenever infestation exists in two or more of the dwelling units in any dwelling or in the shared or public parts of any dwelling containing two or more dwelling units, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner.(d)Rubbish storage and disposal. Every dwelling and every dwelling unit shall be supplied with approved containers and covers for storage of rubbish as required by town ordinances; and the owner, operator or agent in control of the dwelling or dwelling unit shall be responsible for the removal of rubbish.(e)Garbage storage and disposal. Every dwelling and every dwelling unit shall be supplied with an approved garbage disposal facility, which may be an adequate mechanical garbage disposal unit (mechanical sink grinder) in each dwelling unit; or an approved outside garbage can as required by town ordinances. (Code 1973, § 9-15)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Under Apex Town Code § 5-96, part of the minimum-housing-standards article adopted under G.S. 160D-1201, occupants of a single dwelling unit must exterminate any insects, rodents, or other pests on the premises. In multi-unit buildings, an occupant is responsible only if their own unit is the sole one infested; the owner is on the hook whenever infestation is caused by a rodent- or insect-proofing failure, or when two or more units (or shared/public areas) are infested. The same section requires basement and cellar openings to be screened against rodent entry and requires approved rubbish and garbage storage. This is a Town Code housing-standards provision, not the UDO.
Violations & Fines
Code enforcement officer inspects and orders repair under Sec. 5-83/5-100; noncompliance draws the Sec. 1-8 general penalty: a $100/day civil penalty plus possible misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to pay for pest control in an Apex rental?
Does Apex require window screens?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
Compare Apex to another location·View the North Carolina public health rules overview
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How other cities in Wake County handle rodent control.