Detroit, MI Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 8-15-105
- Responsible party
- Building/premises owner
- Applies to
- Occupied and vacant property alike
- Enforcement
- BSEED, as a blight violation
Summary
Detroit property owners must ratproof every building and exterior lot, exterminate rodents when found, and take steps that stop reinfestation under the city's property maintenance code.
All buildings, premises, structures and exterior property, including all vacant or unimproved property, shall be ratproofed, be maintained in a ratproof condition, and be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Where rodents are found, they shall be promptly exterminated by approved processes, which will not be injurious to human health. [...] The owner of such building, premises, structure, or exterior property shall be responsible for complying with the provisions of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Detroit City Code § 8-15-105 requires every building, premises, structure, and even vacant or unimproved property to be ratproofed and kept free of rodent harborage and infestation. When rodents are found, the owner must have them promptly exterminated by approved processes and then take precautions to stop reinfestation. The same section requires food-storage buildings to pass a ratproofing certification from the Public Health Director before a food license issues, and bars anyone from removing ratproofing during repairs or utility work. The Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department enforces this property maintenance code as blight violations, with civil fines under the Code's blight violation schedule.
Violations & Fines
Cited as a blight violation by BSEED inspectors; the property owner is responsible for extermination and ratproofing, and unresolved violations draw civil fines under the Code's blight violation schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for rodent control on a Detroit property?
Does a Detroit food business need a ratproofing certificate first?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
Compare Detroit to another location·View the Michigan public health rules overview
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle rodent control.