Henrico County, VA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- County Code §§ 10-164 to 10-171
- Enforcing agency
- Director of Community Revitalization
- Owner duty
- Ratproof premises and eliminate rat harborage
- Penalty
- Class 4 misdemeanor, each day a separate offense
- Notice method
- Written notice by hand delivery or mail
- Cost recovery
- County bills owner like unpaid property taxes
- Access dispute
- County may obtain a warrant to enter
Summary
Henrico County law makes it every owner's and occupant's duty to keep buildings and premises ratproofed and rat-free under County Code Article VI. The Director of Community Revitalization can inspect after a complaint, order ratproofing, and bill the owner for eradication work the county performs when a notice is ignored.
It is the duty of each owner or occupant to keep his building and premises ratproofed, freed of rats, and maintained in a ratproof and rat-free condition and to eliminate any rat harborage. ... If, after receipt of the written notice or an order from the director of community revitalization under this article, the owner, occupant, or other person responsible refuses to implement rat eradication or eliminate rat harborages, such owner or individual will, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Each day that the violation continues will constitute a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Henrico's rat-control article, County Code §§ 10-164 through 10-171, declares it unlawful to let rats proliferate and requires every owner or occupant to keep buildings and premises "ratproofed, freed of rats, and maintained in a ratproof and rat-free condition" and to eliminate any rat harborage (§ 10-167). Ratproofing means closing every actual or potential opening in exterior walls, ground and first floors, basements, roofs and foundations with material impervious to rat gnawing (§ 10-165), and it is separately unlawful for an owner, contractor, plumber or repairman to remove ratproofing and fail to restore it, or to cut a new unsealed opening (§ 10-168).
Anyone aggrieved by rats on a neighboring property may report the condition to the Director of Community Revitalization (§ 10-169), who may inspect the site and, upon confirming a violation, must send the owner and occupant written notice, by hand or mail, giving a reasonable deadline to ratproof and eradicate (§ 10-170). If the deadline passes without action, the director may send county crews to do the ratproofing and eradication, obtaining a warrant first if access is refused, and bill the cost to the owner or occupant, collectible the same way as unpaid taxes (§ 10-171).
The article does not replace the county's separate litter, weed and garbage rules (§ 10-164); it adds a rat-specific enforcement track on top of them.
Violations & Fines
Refusing to ratproof or eradicate rats after a director's notice is a Class 4 misdemeanor under § 10-166, with each additional day of noncompliance charged as a separate offense. Beyond the criminal charge, the county can perform the ratproofing and extermination itself and assess the cost against the owner or occupant, collectible the same way as delinquent local real estate taxes under § 10-171.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces Henrico's rat-control law?
What counts as 'ratproofing' under the code?
What happens if I ignore a ratproofing notice?
Can Henrico enter my property to deal with rats?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Henrico County
Compare Henrico County to another location·View the Virginia public health rules overview
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