Polk County, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- Structures 'kept free from insect and rodent infestation'
- Pre-rental duty
- Owner must exterminate before renting (Sec. 8.5-30(b))
- Single-family duty
- Occupant responsible on own premises (Sec. 8.5-30(c))
- Multi-unit duty
- Owner covers shared/exterior areas (Sec. 8.5-30(d))
- Structural-defect exception
- Owner responsible if defect caused it (Sec. 8.5-30(f))
- Enforcement
- Code Enforcement Board, Sec. 2-106(a)(7)
Summary
Unincorporated Polk County's Structural Maintenance Ordinance requires every structure to stay free of insect and rodent infestation, and splits the extermination duty between owners and occupants depending on the building's use. Landlords must exterminate before a new tenant moves in, and the Building and Codes Division enforces the standard under Sec. 8.5-30.
Sec. 8.5-30. - Extermination. (a)Infestation. All structures shall be kept free from insect and rodent infestation. All structures in which insects or rodents are found shall be promptly exterminated by approved processes that will not be injurious to human health. After extermination, proper precautions shall be taken to prevent reinfestation.(b)Owner responsibility. The owner of any structure shall be responsible for extermination within the structure prior to renting or leasing the structure.(c)Single occupant. The occupant of a one-family dwelling or of a single-tenant nonresidential structure shall be responsible for extermination on the premises.(d)Multiple occupancy. The owner of a structure containing two (2) or more dwelling units, a multiplying occupancy, a rooming house or a nonresidential structure shall be responsible for extermination in the public or shared areas of the structure and exterior property. ... (f)Exception. Where the infestation is caused by defects in the structure, the owner shall be responsible for extermination.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 109 | Land Development Code: Supplement 12).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-30 of Polk County's Structural Maintenance Ordinance (Ord. No. 11-007) requires that all structures 'shall be kept free from insect and rodent infestation,' and any structure found infested 'shall be promptly exterminated by approved processes that will not be injurious to human health,' with precautions taken afterward to prevent reinfestation (Sec. 5-30(a)). The ordinance assigns the duty by occupancy type: an owner must exterminate a structure before renting or leasing it (Sec. 5-30(b)); the occupant of a one-family dwelling or a single-tenant nonresidential building is responsible for extermination on that premises (Sec.
5-30(c)); and in a building with two or more dwelling units, a rooming house, or a multi-tenant nonresidential structure, the owner is responsible for the shared and exterior areas while an occupant answers for infestation caused by their own unit (Sec. 5-30(d)-(e)). Where the infestation traces back to a defect in the structure itself, such as a gap in a foundation wall or a broken screen, responsibility shifts back to the owner regardless of occupancy type (Sec. 5-30(f)). Related exterior-maintenance sections reinforce the duty: foundation walls must be kept free of open cracks and breaks to 'prevent the entry of rodents and other pests' (Sec.
5-28(d)), and every basement window and hatchway must carry rodent shields or equivalent protection (Sec. 5-28(o)-(p)). The Polk County Code Enforcement Board has jurisdiction to hear violations of this chapter under Sec. 00, up to sixty days in jail, or both (Sec. 5-27).
Violations & Fines
A structure found infested with insects or rodents must be exterminated promptly through an approved, non-injurious process (Sec. 8.5-30(a)). Responsibility follows occupancy: owners must exterminate before renting, single-family occupants answer for their own premises, and owners of multi-unit buildings cover shared and exterior areas (Sec. 8.5-30(b)-(e)). Obstructing a code investigator enforcing the article is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, up to sixty days in jail, or both (Sec. 8.5-27).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for rodent control in a Polk County rental, the landlord or the tenant?
Does the county set a numeric standard for what counts as infestation?
What if rodents get in because of a hole in my rental's foundation?
Who enforces Polk County's pest-control rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Polk County
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