Chelsea, MA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty
- appoint an agent for each vacant lot
- Trigger
- vegetation that promotes rodent infestation
- Correction window
- 30 days after written notice
- Ongoing fine
- $50.00 per day after deadline
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances § 22-32(d), (e)
Summary
Chelsea requires every vacant lot owner to name an agent responsible for keeping the property free of litter and the overgrown vegetation that promotes rodent and vermin infestation, under Code of Ordinances § 22-32(d). Owners who ignore a 30-day correction notice face a $50.00-a-day fine.
(d)Every owner of a vacant lot or other vacant property shall appoint an agent who shall have responsibility for keeping that lot or other property free of litter and the growth of excess vegetation which traps litter, encourages dumping or promotes infestation by rodents and other vermin.(e)If, after due warning, citation or summons, an owner, agent, occupant or lessee fails to remove litter or excess vegetation from any vacant lot, the department of municipal inspections is authorized to serve written notice to the owner or the owner's appointed agent that, if the condition is not corrected within 30 days, the owner shall be subject to a criminal fine of $50.00 a day for each day the violation exists.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26).
Full Breakdown
' The provision sits inside the broader 'Duty to keep property clean' section, which also requires every owner, agent, occupant or lessee to keep exterior private property free of litter, including material trapped at fence and wall bases, planted areas, borders and embankments where debris and overgrowth commonly harbor rodents. 00 for each day the violation continues. 00 for first, second and third offenses under section 1-8. Chelsea addresses rodent control indirectly, through the vegetation and vacant-lot maintenance duty, rather than through a standalone pest-control code, so the operative standard for a property owner is keeping vacant land mowed, cleared of debris and free of the conditions that shelter rodents.
Violations & Fines
Letting a vacant lot go uncut or littered so that it promotes rodent or vermin infestation violates section 22-32(d). After a 30-day written correction notice from the department of municipal inspections goes unheeded, the owner faces a criminal fine of $50.00 for each day the violation continues, on top of the general $50.00 to $300.00 noncriminal schedule for repeat offenses under section 1-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chelsea require vacant lots to be kept free of rodent-attracting overgrowth?
What happens if a vacant lot owner ignores a rodent-control notice?
Who enforces the rodent and vegetation rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelsea
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle rodent control.