Lodi, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Violation type
- Infraction under Sec. 15.30.030
- Trigger condition
- Vegetation "likely to harbor rats, vermin"
- Who is liable
- Owner, lessee, tenant, or occupant
- Enforcement path
- Public nuisance abatement, Chapter 1.10
- Alternative remedy
- Civil abatement action (Sec. 15.30.050)
Summary
Lodi Municipal Code Sec. 15.30.030(F) makes it an infraction to let overgrown vegetation grow thick enough to harbor rats, vermin, or other pests dangerous to public health on your property. The city can declare the lot a public nuisance and pursue abatement under Chapter 1.10, on top of the usual civil remedies.
It is unlawful and an infraction for any person owning, leasing, renting, occupying or having charge or possession of any property within the city to maintain or allow to be maintained such property in any such manner that any of the following conditions are found to exist thereon, except as may be allowed by any other provision of law: ... F.Overgrown vegetation likely to harbor rats, vermin or other nuisances dangerous to public health, safety, and welfare, or obstructing a necessary view of drivers on public streets or private driveways;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
030 opens by declaring it "unlawful and an infraction" for any person owning, leasing, renting, occupying, or having charge or possession of property in Lodi to let any of a defined list of conditions exist on that property. " The same list reaches related conditions that can accompany rodent harborage, including accumulations of dirt, litter or debris (A), abandoned or neglected equipment and unmaintained pools that qualify as attractive nuisances (D), and dead, diseased, or hazardous vegetation (G). 020(F) defines "owner" broadly to include a lessee, tenant, or other person having control or possession of the property, so a renter, not just the titleholder, can be cited for letting a yard reach that condition. 050 preserves the city's option to instead file a civil abatement action. 10's enforcement and penalty provisions.
Violations & Fines
A property with vegetation likely to harbor rats or vermin is an infraction under Sec. 15.30.030 and can be declared a public nuisance under Sec. 15.30.040, triggering Chapter 1.10's administrative abatement and penalty process. The city can also skip the infraction route and file a civil nuisance-abatement action under Sec. 15.30.050. Liability under Sec. 15.30.020(F) reaches the owner, lessee, tenant, or anyone else in control of the property, not the titleholder alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lodi regulate overgrown weeds that attract rats?
Who is responsible for clearing the vegetation, the owner or the tenant?
What happens once a rat-harboring lot is reported?
Is this treated as a criminal offense?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lodi
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How other cities in San Joaquin County handle rodent control.