Murrieta, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 8.20.030(P)(5)(g)
- Standard
- Property must be free of rodent infestation
- Appeal window
- 10 days to appeal notice to abate
- Hearing deadline
- Hearing officer must hear appeal within 20 days
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100 administrative citation
- Repeat fine
- Up to $500 for third+ violation
- Enforcing agency
- City manager / code enforcement
Summary
Murrieta declares it a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 8.20.030(P)(5)(g) for any property to remain infested with termites, insects, vermin, or rodents. Code enforcement can issue a written notice to abate, and owners who miss the deadline face city-directed abatement, cost recovery, and administrative citations starting at $100 for a first violation under Section 1.26.030.
5. Property which is not in compliance with the following minimum standard requirements: ... g. Property shall be free from infestation of termites, insects, vermin or rodents.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
030 of the Murrieta Municipal Code lists the conditions that make property maintenance a declared nuisance citywide. 5 sets minimum standards for every parcel, and subsection (g) requires that property be free of infestation of termites, insects, vermin or rodents. The same list reaches vegetation that can shelter pests: subsection (b) requires trees, shrubs, and landscaping to be kept free of overgrown or hazardous growth that is likely to harbor rats or vermin, and subsection (h) requires improved property to stay connected to sewer service and free of seepage that draws vermin.
060, which must state the condition, a reasonable compliance deadline, and the owner's right to appeal. 070; the hearing officer's decision is final. 090 lets the city manager send city crews or a private contractor to abate the infestation directly and enter the property to do it. The city then bills the owner for abatement and enforcement costs, including attorneys' fees, and that statement of costs becomes a final administrative order and a lien on the property if not appealed within ten calendar days. 030.
Violations & Fines
A first administrative citation under Section 1.26.030 carries a fine up to $100, rising to $200 for a second violation of the same provision within a year and up to $500 for each violation after that. Separately, unresolved nuisance abatement under Section 8.20.090 lets the city recover its abatement costs, plus attorneys' fees, as a recorded lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces Murrieta's rodent control rule?
What happens if I don't fix a rodent problem after getting a notice?
Can the city fine me directly instead of just abating the nuisance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
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