Washoe County, NV Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Subsection 6 of the Nuisance Code's public-nuisance list targets accumulated debris-refuse-rubbish or garbage that could become a harborage for rodents or other vermin, along with related harms: injury to people, damage or diminished value to neighboring property, contribution to blight, an attractive nuisance, or a fire hazard. 304 defines 'debris-refuse-rubbish' broadly to include animal carcasses, accumulated excrement, brush and lawn trimmings, dead trees, manure, junk vehicles, construction waste and similar discarded material of a decaying or solid-waste nature, so the rule reaches far more than household trash left at the curb.

The section carves out one exemption: large, remote parcels in their natural state that are difficult to service with heavy equipment because of terrain or government regulation are not covered, unless an actual and probable danger actually exists on that land. Enforcement follows the same Chapter 125 path as other nuisance violations. 304's definition, may serve an abatement notice giving the owner at least 30 days to clear the debris, with a faster timeline available under the summary-abatement procedure if the accumulation poses an imminent danger.

205, the notice can specifically order the owner to clear debris, rubbish, refuse, litter, garbage, or abandoned or junk vehicles and appliances. If the owner does not comply and has exhausted or skipped the 14-day hearing window, the county can enter the property, clear the material, and recover the cost as a special assessment lien against the property, collected the same way as county taxes.