Buffalo property owners must keep premises rat-free under Chapter 370 of the City Code, and Erie County health staff can order extermination, structural rat-proofing, and trash-storage upgrades for repeat infestations.
Chapter 370 of the Buffalo City Code, combined with Chapter 625 on refuse and the NY State Sanitary Code, requires every property owner and occupant to keep premises free from rats, mice, and other vermin. Buffalo Department of Permit and Inspection Services and Erie County Health respond to complaints, issue notices to abate, and can order extermination, repair of holes around utility penetrations, secure trash containers, and removal of harborage like brush piles, abandoned vehicles, and unmaintained vacant lots. Repeat offenders face escalating fines and potential entry on the city's vacant building registry.
Failing to abate rodent infestations can lead to daily fines, mandatory abatement at the owner's expense, liens, and prosecution under Chapter 370 and Chapter 625 of the Buffalo Code.
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