Clinton Township, MI Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty
- Keep all structures, property rodent and vermin free
- Trigger
- Prompt lawful extermination once rodents are found
- Rat wall
- 4-inch by 24-inch concrete wall for new sheds/garages
- Permit threshold
- Sheds/garages over 32 sq ft need a permit
- Enforcer
- Building Department under Section 1496.03
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under Section 1496.99
Summary
Clinton Township's Property Maintenance Code requires every structure and property to stay free of rodent and vermin harborage, and orders prompt, lawful extermination the moment rodents or vermin turn up. Section 1496.05, part of the adopted International Property Maintenance Code chapter, also makes new detached garages and sheds build a concrete rat wall to keep rodents from burrowing underneath.
(a) All structures and property shall be kept free from rodent and vermin harborage and infestation. Where rodents and vermin are found, prompt extermination by lawful processes in accordance with product data requirements and in a manner not injurious to human health shall promptly occur. Upon completion of extermination or during extermination, proper precautions shall be undertaken to prevent reinfestation. (b) Detached garages, sheds and similar structures shall be erected and attached in a reasonable manner as determined by the Building Department on a minimum four-inch wide by 24-inch deep concrete rat wall with a four-inch concrete slab or as otherwise approved by the Building Official in writing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Local legislation current through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
03. Subsection (a) requires every structure and every property, not just occupied buildings, to stay free of rodent and vermin harborage and infestation; once rodents or vermin are found, the owner must exterminate them promptly through lawful methods that follow the product's label data and that don't endanger human health, then take precautions against reinfestation. Subsections (b) and (c) tie the rodent rule to construction: any detached garage, shed or similar structure the Building Department approves must sit on a minimum four-inch-wide by 24-inch-deep concrete rat wall with a four-inch slab, or an alternative the Building Official approves in writing, and any addition on a pier foundation less than 18 inches above grade needs the same rat wall and slab.
Structures over 32 square feet need a Building Department permit before construction starts under subsection (d). 03(d)(4) lists "rodent or insect infestation" among the conditions the Township treats as a public nuisance, letting the Enforcement Official use Chapter 654's inspection and abatement process, including a 15-day compliance notice, against an infested property in addition to the Building Department's authority under Chapter 1496.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 1496, including the rodent-harborage rule, is a misdemeanor under Section 1496.99, enforced by the Building Department alongside the general Code penalty in Section 202.99 when no specific fine is set. Where the infestation also meets the Chapter 654 nuisance definition, the Enforcement Official can instead issue a nuisance notice, and unabated conditions become a lien against the property under Section 654.07(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clinton Township require property owners to control rodents?
Do new sheds need rodent-proofing?
What's the penalty for a rodent-harborage violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clinton Township
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