Charleston Code Chapter 17 (Health and Sanitation) treats rodent infestations and standing-water mosquito breeding as public nuisances. Property owners must abate within notice deadlines or face city abatement at owner expense.
Under Chapter 17 of the Charleston Code of Ordinances, premises that harbor rats, mice, or mosquito-breeding standing water constitute public health nuisances. Livability and Tourism enforcement officers issue abatement notices requiring removal of harborage, sealing of openings, and elimination of food sources within a stated period, typically seven to fourteen days. SCDHEC also coordinates regional vector control. Tidal Lowcountry conditions plus Charleston's older masonry housing stock make rat harborage common; restaurants face additional pest-control documentation requirements during DHEC inspections.
Failure to abate within the notice period allows the city to perform work and lien the property; municipal court fines may also be issued.
See how Charleston's rodent control rules stack up against other locations.
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