Avondale, AZ Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Pests covered
- insects, bees, wasps, pigeons, rats, rodents
- Governing section
- Sec. 14-190(m)
- Rental interiors
- separately covered by Sec. 14-320
- First-offense fine
- $250 (Sec. 14-110)
- Enforcing agency
- Code Compliance Division
Summary
Avondale bans letting insects, rodents or other vermin infest any private property. Sec. 14-190(m) requires every premises be kept free of pigeons, rats, bees, wasps and any vector or vermin infestation, along with nesting places and conditions that could harbor them, enforced by the Code Compliance Division.
No person shall cause, allow, leave or permit to be or remain in or upon any private lot, building, structure or property any insect, bee, wasp, pigeon, rat, rodent or any vector or vermin infestation of any kind. All premises shall be kept free from the presence or apparent evidence of insects and rodent infestation, other noxious pests, nesting places and any other unsightly or unsanitary condition which could harbor insects, rodents or other vector or vermin.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' The same standard is repeated for rental housing at Sec. 14-320, which requires the interior of every residential rental unit be kept free of insect, rodent or vermin infestation and any excessive moisture or garbage accumulation that could harbor pests. The rule works alongside two related land-maintenance duties: Sec. 14-170(g), which bars storing construction material where it could harbor rodents, and Sec. 14-190(b), which requires refrigerators and other self-latching containers stored where children could reach them to have their doors, lids or latches removed to prevent both entrapment and rodent harborage.
Because the rodent-control duty is a strict, ongoing condition rather than a one-time permit requirement, code officers can cite a property every time an inspection finds active infestation evidence, and repeat findings push the case toward the recidivist-offender penalty track under Sec. 1-9(d)(6) of the City Code.
Violations & Fines
An active rodent, insect or vermin infestation is a civil violation of Sec. 14-190(m), carrying the standard Chapter 14 fine schedule under Sec. 14-110: $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third within 24 months, plus court surcharges. The Code Compliance Division issues a notice of violation with a compliance deadline before citing, and a property owner found to be a recidivist offender faces the enhanced penalties in Sec. 1-9(d)(6) of the City Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get cited for a rat problem on my Avondale property?
Does the rodent rule apply inside a rental unit too?
What's the fine for a pest infestation violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Avondale
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