Fitchburg, WI Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 37-81, part of the general housing maintenance article, sets the baseline: the interior of all buildings and structures and all exterior property areas in Fitchburg, Dane County, must be kept clean and sanitary, free of debris, rubbish, garbage, physical hazards, rodent harborage and infestation, and animal feces, with feces removed within 24 hours. That duty applies to every building in the city, not just rentals. Article V of Chapter 37, covering multifamily property maintenance, goes further for rental buildings: Section 37-139(5) requires every dwelling unit and its premises to be maintained without infestation, and allows only materials acceptable to the county department of health for infestation control, with outdoor materials stacked safely.

Section 37-139(6) places the extermination burden squarely on the owner whenever rodent or insect infestation in a multifamily building, or in shared or public areas, traces back to the owner's failure to keep the premises reasonably rodent-free or insect-free. The building inspection department enforces both sections. Under Sections 37-39 through 37-45, the inspector issues a notice and order first, and a property owner or occupant can appeal an enforcement notice to the Fitchburg zoning board of appeals within 30 days under Wis. 23(7)-(9). If the violation is not corrected, Section 37-42 authorizes a citation imposing a forfeiture.