Hammond, IN Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Responsible party, single unit
- the occupant
- Responsible party, 2+ units infested
- the owner
- Owner takes over if
- ratproofing failure caused the infestation
- General penalty, first offense
- up to $2,500
- General penalty, repeat offense
- up to $7,500
- Related rule
- garbage containers must not harbor rodents
Summary
Hammond, Indiana's property maintenance code puts extermination duty on whoever caused the infestation: a single-unit occupant, a multi-unit owner once two or more units are infested, or the owner if a ratproofing failure let pests in, under Hammond Code of Ordinances § 96.004. Violations can bring a $2,500 fine.
Every occupant of a dwelling or dwelling unit shall dispose of all his or her garbage and any other organic waste, which might provide food for rodents, in a clean and sanitary manner, by placing in the garbage disposal facilities or garbage storage containers required by § 96.019(A). ... (F) Every occupant of a dwelling containing a single dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination of any insects, rodents or other pests therein or on the premises, and every occupant of a dwelling unit in a dwelling containing more than 1 dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination whenever his or her dwelling unit is the only one infested. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this division, whenever infestation is caused by failure of the owner to maintain a dwelling in a ratproof or reasonably insect-proof condition, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner. Whenever infestation exists in 2 or more of the dwelling units in any dwelling, or in the shared or public parts of any dwelling containing 2 or more dwelling units, extermination thereof shall be the responsibility of the owner.
Full Breakdown
004(F) assigns responsibility for exterminating insects, rodents or other pests based on where the infestation sits. An occupant of a single dwelling unit must handle extermination themselves, and in a multi-unit building, an occupant is responsible only when their own unit is the sole one infested. Once infestation spreads to two or more units, or into shared and public areas of a multi-unit dwelling, the owner takes over responsibility for extermination. The section also shifts the duty to the owner outright whenever the infestation traces back to the owner's failure to keep the dwelling in a ratproof or reasonably insect-proof condition, regardless of how many units are affected.
019(A), and puts the duty to provide those facilities on the owner of any dwelling with more than two units. 002 defines EXTERMINATION as controlling and eliminating insects, rodents or other pests by eliminating their harborage, removing food sources, poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping or another method approved by the Board of Health, and defines INFESTATION as the presence of insects, rodents or other pests within or around a dwelling.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the duties in § 96.004, including letting a rodent or pest infestation go unaddressed, is punishable under the city's general penalty in § 10.99: a fine of up to $2,500 for a first offense, rising to as much as $7,500 for a second or later conviction of the same or another provision, with every day of the violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for pest control in a Hammond rental, the landlord or the tenant?
What counts as an infestation under Hammond's code?
What's the fine for not dealing with a rodent problem in Hammond?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hammond
Compare Hammond to another location·View the Indiana public health rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.