Monroe County, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Sec. 21-20(a) of the Monroe County Code ties property upkeep directly to vector control: it requires that all lands inside and outside subdivisions, including vacant lands and improved property in the unincorporated county, be kept cleared of debris, garbage, litter, yard trash, refuse, special solid waste, solid waste, trash, and industrial waste that tends to be a breeding place or haven for snakes, rodents, insects, and vermin of all kinds and character. The same subsection also covers material that creates a fire hazard, a traffic hazard, or an unsanitary nuisance, so a rodent-harboring pile of debris can be cited on multiple grounds at once.

Sec. 21-46 separately defines an 'unsanitary nuisance' to include any condition capable of harboring, attracting, or breeding flies, mosquitoes, or other arthropods and rodents capable of transmitting disease to humans, which reinforces the same standard for solid-waste violations under Article III. Enforcement runs through Sec. 21-23: the Monroe County Sheriff's deputies, any municipal police officer, and any code enforcement officer authorized to enforce county ordinances can issue a citation naming the violation, the penalty, and a 30-day deadline to pay or contest it in court.

If the property owner does not pay or appear in court within that window, the county can enter a judgment for the citation amount plus court costs, recording fees, and other charges, and it can pursue a separate civil action and recover attorneys' fees if litigation becomes necessary.