Clearwater, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Article II of Chapter 24 defines "rat harborage" as any condition that shelters or helps rats multiply, and "ratproofing" as closing every opening in a building's exterior walls, floors, basements, roofs and foundations with material rats cannot gnaw through (Sec. 21). Sec. 22 requires the owner of any newly constructed building, or any existing building undergoing major repair, to get the health officer's approval of ratproofing specifications before work is finished, and Sec. 23 makes it unlawful to remove ratproofing and fail to restore it or to leave new openings unsealed.

Division 2 applies the same ratproof, rat-free standard specifically to business buildings under the health officer's direction (Sec. 41). The health officer can make unannounced inspections of business buildings' interiors and exteriors and must periodically recheck ratstopped buildings for new breaks (Sec. 42). If a written notice to ratproof is not satisfied within the time given, never less than 15 days, the owner is guilty of an offense, and the health officer can quarantine the building, post a warning placard, and make entry by anyone unlawful (Sec.

43). Once notified, the occupant must carry out eradication work such as poisoning, trapping, harborage removal or fumigation until the building is rat-free, and must repeat the work if it becomes reinfested, on pain of the same offense and quarantine (Sec. 44). Everyday premises rules back this up: animal feed must be stored in ratfree, ratproof containers (Sec. 24); lumber, boxes, barrels, bricks and similar materials must sit on racks at least 18 inches off the ground unless the health officer approves an ongoing rat-eradication program (Sec.

25); and garbage must go into covered containers of a type the health officer prescribes (Sec. 26). An aggrieved owner or occupant can appeal any health-officer order to the city commission within ten days, and the commission's decision is final (Sec. 28).