Property owners in Wayne County must keep premises free of rodent harborage, with WCPHS responding to complaints in suburban communities and Detroit Health Department handling Detroit cases.
Rat and rodent infestations are addressed through the Michigan Public Health Code (MCL 333.2433) and local property maintenance ordinances adopted by individual Wayne County municipalities. WCPHS investigates complaints involving food facilities, multi-family rentals, and public nuisances in the suburbs. Detroit operates a separate rat-abatement program funded partly by ARPA. Property owners are required to eliminate harborage such as trash buildup, abandoned structures, and standing food sources. Remediation typically involves licensed pest-control treatment and corrective property work. The county can issue nuisance abatement notices and assess costs as a property lien if owners fail to act.
Failure to eliminate harborage, repeated infestation complaints, or improper trash storage can result in nuisance abatement orders, daily fines, and lien assessments.
See how Dearborn's rodent control rules stack up against other locations.
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