Mebane, NC Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Mebane's Minimum Housing Code addresses rodent control from two directions: the physical condition of the building and the behavior of the people living in it. Sec. 6-140(10)a.8 sets the structural side: the crawl space between the ground and the first floor of an enclosed dwelling must be underpinned with masonry built to be substantially weatherproof and rodentproof, with an access opening measuring 18 inches by 24 inches and fitted with a door, and curtain walls must carry foundation vents sized at a minimum of one square foot for every 250 square feet of crawl space.

Sec. 6-144, which lists an occupant's responsibilities, then puts pest control partly on the resident: under subsection (3), an occupant is responsible for exterminating insects, rodents or other pests found only in the unit they occupy and control, but only if the owner has already supplied a building that is reasonably insectproof and rodentproof; if the infestation is building-wide, the extermination duty shifts back to the owner. Subsection (5) bars occupants from storing furniture, auto parts, junk equipment or any material that harbors insects or rodents anywhere on the premises, alongside the general prohibition on fire-hazard materials.

The director of inspections enforces both sections as part of the same Minimum Housing Code inspection that covers structural and sanitary conditions, and Sec. 6-145 lets the inspector order an occupant to correct a Sec. 6-144 violation within 48 hours of notice, with a hearing under Sec. 6-149(c) if the occupant does not comply, before pursuing prosecution under Sec. 6-135's misdemeanor penalty.