King County Board of Health Code Title 8 requires property owners to keep premises free of rat harborage and to use rodent-proof construction for refuse storage. Public Health investigates complaints in unincorporated areas and contracts with cities.
Board of Health Code chapters governing solid waste and nuisance conditions require owners to eliminate rat harborage such as wood piles touching ground, dense ivy, uncapped sewer cleanouts, and food sources like pet bowls left outside. Garbage must be stored in rodent-proof containers with tight lids. PHSKC environmental health staff respond to complaints, inspect, and issue notice and order to abate. Severe infestations near food establishments or schools can trigger countywide pest abatement campaigns coordinated with cities and Metro.
Owners who fail to abate after notice may face daily civil penalties, abatement performed by the county at the owner's expense, and recordation of liens against the property.
King County, WA
In unincorporated King County, fences 6 feet or less in height may be built on or within property lines without a building permit. Fences over 6 feet require...
King County, WA
Unincorporated King County's marine shoreline along Puget Sound and Vashon-Maury Island is regulated under the Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58), the King...
King County, WA
In unincorporated King County, an above-ground pool that can hold water more than 24 inches deep is regulated as a swimming pool under the Washington State R...
King County, WA
In unincorporated King County, a one-story detached storage shed of 200 square feet or less, accessory to a residential or agricultural use, is exempt from a...
King County, WA
Unincorporated King County requires private swimming pools to be enclosed by a barrier at least five feet high under K.C.C. 16.70.020, with self-closing/self...
King County, WA
King County Ordinance 18467 (2017) limits county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and Washington's Keep Washington Working Act (RCW 10.93.16...
See how King County's rodent control rules stack up against other locations.
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