Fresno, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- FMC § 11-305(c), Article 3
- Who must exterminate
- Owner, unless duty shifted to occupant
- Enforcing official
- Fresno Building Official
- Occupant duty
- Keep own unit clean & sanitary
- Max misdemeanor penalty
- $1,000 fine / 1 year jail
- Entry authority
- Inspection warrant if entry refused
Summary
Fresno Municipal Code § 11-305 makes property owners responsible for furnishing and maintaining devices, equipment, or facilities that prevent insect and rodent infestation, and for exterminating any pests once infestation occurs, unless that duty is placed on the occupant by law or ruling.
Owners shall furnish and maintain such approved sanitary facilities as required by this article, the Fresno Building Code or other applicable state statutes and regulations and shall furnish and maintain approved devices, equipment or facilities for the prevention of insect and rodent infestation, and when infestation has taken place, shall be responsible for the extermination of any insects, rodents or other pests when such extermination is not specifically made the responsibility of the occupant by law or ruling, when required by this code, or the Building Official.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Section 11-305, General, sits in Article 3 (Housing Regulations) of Chapter 11 and spells out who must keep a building pest-free. " That duty sits alongside a broader owner obligation to keep any part of the building or premises the owner occupies or controls, including shared or public areas in multi-unit buildings, clean, sanitary, and safe. Occupants have a parallel but narrower duty: they must keep the portion of the dwelling they occupy and control clean, sanitary, and safe, dispose of rubbish, garbage, and organic waste properly, and furnish devices needed to keep their own premises safe and sanitary when the Building Official requires it.
59 if entry is refused. Section 11-304's definitions section separately lists "whatever is dangerous to human life or is detrimental to health" and "inadequate or unsanitary sewage or plumbing facilities" among the article's defined nuisances, giving the Building Official additional grounds to act against a rodent- or insect-infested property beyond Section 11-305 alone. A confirmed infestation that an owner fails to address becomes a basis for the abatement and enforcement procedures set out later in the same article.
Violations & Fines
A property found in violation of the pest-prevention and extermination duty in Section 11-305 is processed under Article 3's enforcement chain: the Building Official issues a Notice of Violation and, if uncorrected, a Notice and Order under Sections 11-326 and 11-327, with summary abatement available for imminent hazards under Section 11-328. Separately, failing to comply with Chapter 11 requirements is a Municipal Code violation under Section 1-304, punishable as a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both) or, if charged as an infraction, escalating fines of $100 for a first offense up to $500 for repeat violations within a year; the city may instead issue an administrative citation and civil penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for rodent extermination in a Fresno rental?
Can code enforcement inspect my property for a rodent problem?
What happens if a landlord ignores a rodent infestation notice?
Do tenants have any pest-control duties of their own in Fresno?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fresno County handle rodent control.