Chico, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Vegetation harboring rats/vermin
- Enforced by
- Community Development Director
- Process
- Notice, hearing, abatement order
- Nonpayment result
- Cost becomes a property lien
Summary
Chico's nuisance-abatement code declares overgrown vegetation that harbors rats or vermin a public nuisance property owners must correct, enforced through a Director abatement order backed by city cleanup and a cost-recovery lien.
A condition of real property or a building, structure, improvement, or other thing on real property that endangers the public health, safety or welfare, including but not limited to: ... 21. Overgrown vegetation likely to harbor rats, vermin and other nuisances resulting in potential health hazards;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Supplement contains local legislation current through: Codified Resolution No. 53-26, adopted 7-14-26 and Ordinance No. 2622, adopted 6-2-26).
Full Breakdown
Chico's nuisance abatement chapter (Ch. 1.14) defines overgrown vegetation likely to harbor rats, vermin, or other pests as a public nuisance property owners must correct. The Community Development Director administers the abatement process: after notice and a hearing, an uncorrected condition becomes a formal abatement order. If the owner still doesn't clear it, city crews or a contractor can do the work and bill the owner, with unpaid costs recorded as a special-assessment lien against the property under § 1.14.100.
Violations & Fines
An uncorrected abatement order lets the city clear the vermin-harboring condition itself and record the cost as a lien against the property under § 1.14.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chico require property owners to control pests?
What happens if I ignore the abatement order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chico
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