Miami-Dade County, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- § 17-27(7), Minimum Housing Standards
- Default duty
- Occupant exterminates pests in own unit
- Owner duty triggers
- When owner's neglect causes the infestation
- Scope
- Countywide, incorporated and unincorporated areas
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Miami-Dade's minimum housing code makes occupants responsible for exterminating insects, rodents, and vermin in single-unit rentals, but shifts that duty to the owner when infestation stems from the owner's own neglect of the building.
Every occupant of a dwelling containing a single dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination of any insects, rodents, vermin, or other pests therein or on the premises. Every occupant of a dwelling unit in a building containing more than one (1) dwelling unit shall be responsible for such extermination whenever his dwelling unit is the only one (1) infested, except that whenever such infestation is caused by the failure of the owner to carry out the provisions of this article, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Miami-Dade County Code § 17-27(7), part of the county's minimum housing standards, requires occupants of single-unit rental dwellings to exterminate insects, rodents, vermin, or other pests on the premises. In multi-unit buildings, an occupant is responsible only if their own unit alone is infested; otherwise, when infestation traces to the owner's failure to maintain the building, the owner must handle extermination. The standard applies countywide, in both incorporated and unincorporated Miami-Dade (§ 17-4), enforced by the county's Minimum Housing Enforcement Officer in unincorporated areas and by municipal code officials inside the 34 cities. Violations under § 17-15 carry a fine up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or a civil penalty up to $5,000 per offense.
Violations & Fines
Occupant fails to exterminate insects, rodents, or vermin in a single-unit rental, or owner ignores an infestation caused by building neglect in a multi-unit property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to pay for pest control in a Miami-Dade rental?
Does this rule apply inside Miami or Miami Beach?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida public health rules overview
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