Clarkstown, NY Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Clarkstown Code § 157-40
- Seasonal screening window
- May 1 to October 1
- Basement screening
- Wire mesh where infestation risk exists
- Enforcing officer
- Building Inspector
- General penalty
- Up to $2,000 fine / 3 months (Class B misdemeanor)
Summary
Clarkstown property owners must keep grounds and buildings free of rodent and vermin harborage, screen basement openings against infestation, and screen entrances and windows every year from May through September.
Grounds, buildings and structures shall be maintained free of insect, vermin and rodent harborage and infestation. Methods used for exterminating insects, vermin and rodents shall conform to generally accepted practice. ... From May 1 to October 1, entrances to residential buildings shall be provided with self-closing-type devices or screens, and windows and other openings used for ventilation shall be appropriately screened.
Full Breakdown
Town Code § 157-40, 'Insect, vermin and rodent control,' sits in Chapter 157's Article VI, Property Maintenance Requirements, and applies town-wide to residential premises under § 157-3. ' Subsection C imposes a seasonal window: 'From May 1 to October 1, entrances to residential buildings shall be provided with self-closing-type devices or screens, and windows and other openings used for ventilation shall be appropriately screened,' though upper-story rooms in multiple dwellings high enough to be free of mosquitoes and flies are exempted from the screening requirement.
This sits alongside § 157-39C, requiring accessory structures be kept free of conditions detrimental to safety or health, and § 157-41, barring the storage or accumulation of garbage or refuse in public halls and stairways of multiple dwellings, both of which compound infestation risk if ignored. ' The Building Inspector enforces § 157-40 as part of the housing standards under § 157-43 and § 157-44, and may order in writing the remedying of any infestation condition found, with the power to order vacation of a unit rendered unfit for habitation under § 157-44C(3) and to act immediately where the condition poses an immediate hazard under § 157-44D.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 157-40, uncontrolled rodent or vermin harborage, unscreened basement openings, or missing seasonal entrance screening, is a Class B misdemeanor under § 157-47A, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 and/or imprisonment of up to three months, with each day the condition continues counted as a separate offense. On registered rental premises, an infestation condition found at the biennial inspection must be corrected within 10 days under § 157-65B or the owner faces a further violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clarkstown require rodent-proofing of buildings?
Do windows need screens in Clarkstown from May through September?
What is the penalty for a rodent infestation violation in Clarkstown?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarkstown
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