Property owners must keep premises free of rat harborage under LFUCG Code Chapter 22 housing standards, and LFCHD investigates rodent complaints, orders abatement, and refers chronic violators to Code Enforcement.
LFUCG Code of Ordinances Chapter 22 (Housing Code) requires owners to keep structures rodent-resistant and yards free of harborage such as rubbish piles, overgrown weeds, and uncovered trash. LFCHD Environmental Health responds to complaints jointly with Code Enforcement, conducting site inspections and issuing notices to abate. Common triggers include accumulated bird seed, open compost, dog food left outdoors, gaps under sheds, and unsealed crawlspaces. Owners typically receive 10-30 days to bait, seal entry points, and clear harborage. Tenant-occupied rentals remain landlord responsibility for structural exclusion; tenants handle sanitation. Persistent violations can be referred to the Code Enforcement Board for civil fines.
Failure to abate rodent harborage after written LFCHD or Code Enforcement notice can result in civil fines, lien-recoverable city abatement, and continued daily penalties until conditions are corrected.
Lexington, KY
Lexington-Fayette County Health Department (LFCHD) inspects every food service establishment at least twice yearly under Kentucky Food Code, posts numeric sc...
Lexington, KY
Lexington aggressively enforces property maintenance standards through Code Enforcement under LFUCG Code Chapter 12 and the International Property Maintenanc...
See how Lexington's rodent control rules stack up against other locations.
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