Fort Collins, CO Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- 2024 Intl Property Maintenance Code § 302.5
- Duty holder
- Property owner, before renting or leasing
- Elimination method
- Approved means, not injurious to human health
- Penalty
- Civil infraction, up to $2,650, § 1-15(f)
- Each day
- Separate violation while harborage continues
Summary
Fort Collins requires every structure and exterior property to stay free of rodent harborage under Section 302.5 of its locally amended Property Maintenance Code. Once rodents are found, the property owner must eliminate them by approved, non-toxic-to-humans means and then rodent-proof the site to stop reinfestation, with rental units cleared before a new tenant moves in.
302.5 Rodent harborage. Structures and exterior property shall be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Where rodents are found, they shall be promptly eliminated by approved means or processes that will not be injurious to human health. After pest elimination, proper precautions shall be taken to eliminate rodent harborage and prevent reinfestation. The owner of any building or structure shall be responsible for pest elimination within the structure prior to renting or leasing such. The owner(s) of any building or structure shall be responsible for pest elimination in the public or shared areas of the structure and exterior premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
5, Rodent Harborage, to require that structures and exterior property be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation, and that where rodents are found they be promptly eliminated by approved means or processes that will not be injurious to human health. The section places the elimination duty on the property owner, who must clear a structure of pests before renting or leasing it, and remains responsible for pest elimination in shared and exterior areas of a rental property even after tenants move in. 2 Owner, repeats that the owner is responsible for pest elimination within the structure before renting or leasing it, and for public or shared areas and exterior premises.
The Building Official administers this Property Maintenance Code chapter, and inspection of rental housing runs through the same IPMC Section 104 process adopted in §§ 5-46 and 5-47. 5 the same way as any other structural maintenance deficiency, and the same civil-infraction enforcement track applies.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who fails to eliminate rodent harborage after it is identified is subject to the Property Maintenance Code's general penalty provision: a civil infraction under City Code § 1-15(f), carrying a civil penalty of up to $2,650 plus costs. Each day the harborage condition continues is a separate violation, and the Municipal Court may also order abatement of the nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for rodent control at a Fort Collins rental?
What counts as a rodent violation under Fort Collins code?
What is the penalty for ignoring a rodent citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
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