Champaign, IL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Baseline duty
- Structures must stay free of infestation
- Before renting
- Owner must exterminate first
- Single-family occupant duty
- Occupant exterminates, unless structural defect
- Multi-unit duty
- Owner exterminates common/affected areas
- Recurring infestation trigger
- Within 12 months
- Recurring infestation remedy
- Licensed exterminator required
- Nuisance abatement deadline
- 10 days (24 hrs if urgent/repeat)
Summary
Champaign Municipal Code Sec. 22-308.1 requires every structure to stay free of insect and rodent infestation and orders prompt extermination when infestation is found, with responsibility assigned by property type under Secs. 22-308.2 through 22-308.5.
Sec. 22-308.1. - Infestation. All structures shall be kept free from insect and rodent infestation. All structures in which insects or rodents are found shall be promptly exterminated by approved processes that will not be injurious to human health. After extermination, proper precautions shall be taken to prevent reinfestation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
The owner of any structure must exterminate before renting or leasing it (Sec. 2). In a one-family dwelling or single-tenant nonresidential building, the occupant is responsible for extermination on the premises, unless the infestation is caused by a defect in the structure itself, in which case the owner is responsible (Sec. 3). In a structure with two or more dwelling units, a rooming house, or a multi-tenant nonresidential building, the owner must exterminate all areas of the structure and exterior property; if infestation shows up in one unit, the owner must treat that unit and keep the infestation from spreading to others (Sec.
4). If infestations recur at the same property within a twelve-month period, the Code Official can require the owner to hire a licensed professional exterminator and provide proof of that service (Sec. 5). Infestation also triggers broader enforcement: Sec. 22-67(a)(10) lets the Code Official declare a structure 'unsafe' when it is infested with rodents, insects, or other vermin as determined by the Champaign County Public Health Department, and Sec. 1(b)(16) separately lists 'infestations of or harborage for termites, rats or other vermin that pose a significant threat to property and human health or safety' as a public nuisance.
Violations & Fines
An infestation cited as a public nuisance under Sec. 22-302.1 triggers a notice to abate under Sec. 22-56, giving the owner ten days to correct it (or just 24 hours if it poses an immediate danger or a similar notice was already issued at that address within the past twelve months). If the owner doesn't act, the City may abate it directly and bill the owner, with unpaid costs becoming a lien on the property under Sec. 22-58/22-59. Separately, unresolved property code violations escalate to failure-to-comply tickets under Sec. 22-46 starting at $25-$50 for a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to pay for pest control in a Champaign rental, the landlord or the tenant?
What can Champaign do about a building with recurring rodent problems?
Can a rodent infestation get a Champaign property condemned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Champaign
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