Long Beach, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LBMC § 8.08.220, Communicable Diseases chapter
- Duty holder
- owner, controller or occupant of premises
- Covered material
- dead animals, manure, garbage, refuse, decaying matter
- Salvage storage
- must prevent rodent harborage or insect breeding
- Drainage
- standing wastewater onto premises prohibited
- Animal enclosures
- must not create rodent or insect harborage
- Related rule
- § 8.08.192: rat-free certification before demolition permits
Summary
LBMC § 8.08.220 bars any owner, occupant or person in control of property from letting dead animals, manure, garbage, refuse or decaying material accumulate on the premises or a vacant lot, and specifically requires salvageable material to be stored so it can't become a rodent harborage or insect breeding site. Standing wastewater and unsanitary animal enclosures are equally prohibited.
No person shall permit any dead animal, manure, garbage, refuse, trash, decaying or offensive material to remain on any premises owned, controlled, or occupied by such person, or to deposit any such material upon any vacant lot or public street or place. Salvageable material shall be maintained or stored in a manner to prevent the possibility of a rodent harborage or breeding site for other insects. No person having control of, owning or occupying a premises shall permit any wastewater or other liquid to drain upon, drain from, or pool upon any such premises. Any yard, stable, or other enclosure where any animals, birds or fowl are kept shall be maintained in such a manner as to prevent a rodent or insect harborage or create an unhealthy or offensive condition.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
08 (Communicable Diseases) of Title 8, administered by Long Beach's own city Health Department rather than the County. It forbids anyone who owns, controls or occupies a premises from letting dead animals, manure, garbage, refuse, trash, or decaying or offensive material remain on the property, or from dumping such material on a vacant lot, public street or place. Even legitimately stored salvage must be kept in a manner that prevents rodent harborage or an insect breeding site. The section separately bars letting wastewater or other liquid drain onto, from, or pool upon a premises, and requires any yard, stable or enclosure housing animals, birds or fowl to be maintained so it doesn't create rodent or insect harborage or an unhealthy, offensive condition.
192 requires an owner to obtain written certification from the Health Officer that a building is free of rat or vermin infestation before the City will issue a demolition permit. 010.
Violations & Fines
Letting garbage, manure, decaying material or improperly stored salvage accumulate, allowing standing wastewater, or keeping an unsanitary animal enclosure violates § 8.08.220 and is a misdemeanor under LBMC § 1.32.010, up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, with each day of the condition a separate offense, and the condition itself declared a public nuisance subject to City abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for keeping a Long Beach property free of rodent-attracting debris?
Does storing scrap or recyclables violate this rule?
Are backyard chicken coops or animal pens covered?
Do I need a rat-clearance letter to demolish a building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California public health rules overview
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