Brookhaven, NY Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 82-3G sits inside the Neighborhood Preservation chapter's list of property maintenance duties and reads: 'Dwellings, structures, accessory structures and property shall be maintained free of vermin, rodent harborage and infestation. ' The duty is not limited to interiors; it covers the whole property, so an overgrown yard, exposed trash or a deteriorating accessory structure that harbors rats or mice is a Chapter 82 issue whether or not the main dwelling is affected. Because the standard folds in Suffolk County Health Department rules, an owner or exterminator using rodenticides or trapping methods the County Health Department has not approved can be out of compliance even if the pest problem itself is addressed.

Chapter 82 binds owner-occupied and rental dwellings alike under § 82-1B, and applies Townwide outside the Great South Beach (Fire Island) area. The Chief Building Inspector and the other officials named as Code Enforcement Officer in § 82-2, including Housing Inspectors and Fire Marshals, may inspect a property with the owner's consent under § 82-8, or apply for a search warrant under § 82-9 if consent is refused and there is reasonable cause to believe a violation, such as an active rodent infestation, exists.