Milwaukee, WI Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Milwaukee Code § 80-48
- Penalty class
- Class E, $50-$500/day
- Lumber pile height
- 1 foot off ground minimum
- Enforcement
- City health commissioner
- Default penalty
- 3-30 days imprisonment
Summary
Milwaukee property owners must remove rat harborage, ratproof buildings and foundations, and store food waste in rat-proof containers under the city's Chapter 80 Rat Control Regulations.
ELIMINATION
OF
RAT
HARBORAGES. Whenever accumulations of
rubbish, boxes, lumber, scrap metal, car bodies
or any other materials provide rat harborage, the
person, firm or corporation owning or in control of
such materials shall cause the materials to be
removed or the materials shall be stored so as to
eliminate the rat harborage. Lumber boxes and
similar materials shall be neatly piled. These piles
shall be raised at least a foot above the ground.
When the owner of the materials cannot be found,
after reasonable search, the owner or manager of
the premises on which the materials are stored
shall be responsible for disposal, or proper piling,
of the materials.
3. ELIMINATION OF RAT FEEDING
PLACES. No person, firm or corporation shall
place, or allow to accumulate, any materials that
may serve as a food for rats in a site accessible to
rats. Any waste material that may serve as food
for rats shall be stored in ratproof containers.
Feed for birds shall be placed in compliance with
s. 78-35.
4. EXTERMINATION. Whenever rat
holes, burrows or other evidence of rat infestation
are found on any premises or in any building
within the city, it shall be the duty of the owner or
manager of such property to exterminate the rats
or cause the rats to be exterminated. Within 10
days after extermination, the owner or manager
shall cause all of the rat holes or burrows in the
Full Breakdown
Milwaukee's Rat Control Regulations (Ch. 80-48) require property owners to eliminate rat harborage by removing or properly storing rubbish, boxes, lumber, scrap metal and similar materials, piling lumber at least a foot off the ground. Owners must also ratproof buildings -- closing foundation and window openings with concrete, sheet iron or hardware cloth -- and store any waste that could feed rats in rat-proof containers. If the health commissioner orders elimination of a rat infestation and it isn't done within 24 hours, the city can exterminate the rats at the owner's expense, billed as a special charge. Violations are Class E offenses under s. 61-11: $50 to $500 per day, with jail time on default.
Violations & Fines
Rat harborage, feeding sites, or failure to ratproof is a Class E offense: $50-$500 fine per day of violation, plus 3-30 days jail if the fine goes unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces Milwaukee's rat control rules?
What counts as a rat harborage violation in Milwaukee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milwaukee
Compare Milwaukee to another location·View the Wisconsin public health rules overview
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle rodent control.