Lafayette Parish, LA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage
- City of Lafayette and unincorporated parish
- Cure period
- At least 5 days after notice
- Enforcement
- Public works director inspects and abates
- Cost recovery
- Added to tax bill, becomes lien
- Citations
- Issued by the public works director
Summary
Property owners in the city of Lafayette and the unincorporated parish must keep their land free of rodent harborage; inspectors can enter, abate the infestation, and bill owners for the cost.
Rodent harborage and infestation means the existence of a natural habitat for rodents, to include the existence of any and all garbage, growth, solid waste, trash and other waste matters located upon a premises with evidence of feeding entry, burrows, harborages, trails and/or droppings. ... It shall be unlawful for any owner to permit, allow or cause rodent harborage and infestation to exist on any property owned by such person.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Article III of Chapter 42 bars property owners citywide and in the unincorporated parish from letting rodent harborage or infestation exist on their land. On a citizen complaint, the public works director can inspect the property. If harborage is confirmed, the owner gets at least five calendar days' written notice to clear it themselves before the parish destroys or removes it and hires a state-licensed exterminator. Unpaid extermination costs are added to the owner's tax bill and recorded as a lien in the parish mortgage records; the public works director can also issue citations for violations.
Violations & Fines
Unlawful for an owner to let rodent harborage exist on their property; the parish can abate it, hire a licensed exterminator, bill the owner, and place a lien if unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Lafayette city limits, not just the parish?
What happens if I ignore the rodent-harborage notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette Parish
Compare Lafayette Parish to another location·View the Louisiana public health rules overview
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