Gilbert, AZ Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 42-316, 'Building and structure exteriors,' was rewritten in its entirety by Ordinance No. 2908 (June 18, 2024) and sits in Part 2, Maintenance Standards, of Chapter 42's property-maintenance article. Subsection (d), 'Insect, rodent, and animal control,' is one of nine maintenance duties the section imposes on every structure and building in town, alongside exterior-surface upkeep, fence and wall condition, drainage, foundations, roofing, evaporative coolers, stairs/porches and address numbering. The pest-control duty is written broadly, premises must be 'kept free from insect and rodent infestation and other noxious pests', but Gilbert built in an express carve-out so the rule can't be used against a resident's backyard rabbit hutch, a beekeeping hobby, or similar natural or cultivated wildlife activity, as long as that activity isn't creating a danger or nuisance to a neighbor and otherwise complies with the law.

The companion section, § 42-317(e), reinforces the same policy from the land side: it requires exterior property areas to stay free of dry vegetation, tumbleweeds and tall grass that 'may harbor insect or rodent infestations,' so an overgrown yard that draws pests can be cited under either provision. Both sections are enforced through the town's code compliance and abatement process, with notice-and-demand procedures and the town's civil-sanctions track rather than criminal prosecution for a first violation.