Lane County, OR Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Occupant duty
- Exterminate rodents in own unit
- Exception
- Pre-existing infestation is owner's problem
- Owner duty
- Rodent-proof walls, roof, foundation
- Correction deadline
- Up to 30 days
- Harborage nuisance
- Abatable under LC 9.057.584/.592
Summary
In a rented dwelling in unincorporated Lane County, the tenant is on the hook for exterminating rodents and other pests in the space they exclusively occupy, unless it was already infested when they moved in.
The owner of a dwelling is responsible for maintaining the dwelling in compliance with the requirements of these minimum standards, except that an occupant is exclusively responsible for: ... C. Exterminating or eliminating rodents, infestations of insects, vermin and other pests and their harborages, except termites, when they exist in a single dwelling unit or guest room only or only in other parts of a dwelling provided for his exclusive use or the exclusive use of his family, if the dwelling unit or guest room was free from rodents or infestation at the beginning of his occupancy or at any time thereafter.
Full Breakdown
065, split maintenance duties between owner and occupant. 065C: exterminating or eliminating rodents, insect infestations, vermin and other pests, and their harborages, in a single dwelling unit or guest room, or in any part of the dwelling reserved for the occupant's exclusive use. That duty only falls on the occupant if the space was free of rodents or infestation when the tenancy began or became free at some point during it; a unit that arrived already infested is the owner's problem to fix. 065) requires exterior walls, foundations and roofs to be kept free of holes and rot that could let rodents into the dwelling. 592. 085, which requires correction within a deadline the County sets, capped at thirty days.
Violations & Fines
An owner or occupant who fails to meet their assigned rodent-control duty is subject to written notice and a County-set correction deadline under LC 9.035.085, capped at thirty days without express permission for more time; continued noncompliance moves to administrative enforcement under LC Chapter 5. Where accumulated material is providing rodent harborage on the property itself, the County can separately pursue nuisance abatement under LC 9.057.592, including a lien for cleanup costs plus 25% administrative overhead if the County has to abate it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my Lane County landlord required to handle a rat problem?
Can I be cited for rodent harborage on my rural property?
What must a landlord do to keep rodents out structurally?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lane County
Compare Lane County to another location·View the Oregon public health rules overview
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