New Port Richey, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- garbage, junk, derelict vehicles
- Enforced by
- county health officer
- Inspections
- unannounced, allowed by code
- Appeal window
- 10 days to code board
Summary
New Port Richey bans letting garbage, junk, or derelict vehicles pile up on any property in the city if it could feed or shelter rats.
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave, dump or permit to accumulate any garbage, rubbish, junk, furniture; refrigerators, stoves and other appliances; inoperative and derelict automobiles, boats, trucks, and vehicles of like nature; or trash in any buildings or premises, improved or unimproved, in the city so that same shall or may afford food or harborage for rats.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 11-37, in the Article III rodent control chapter, makes it unlawful to place, leave, dump or let accumulate garbage, rubbish, junk, old appliances, or inoperative vehicles on any building or premises in the city if the accumulation could afford food or harborage for rats. Lumber and similar stacked materials must sit on racks at least 18 inches off the ground under § 11-38. The county health officer can make unannounced inspections and order abatement, with a 10-day appeal window to the city's code enforcement board.
Violations & Fines
Letting rat-harboring debris or derelict vehicles accumulate violates § 11-37; failing to comply with a health officer's written abatement order is a separate offense under § 11-34.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the health officer inspect my property for rodent violations without notice?
What can I be cited for under the rodent control ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Port Richey
Florida rules heatmap·Compare New Port Richey to another location·View the Florida public health rules overview
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pasco County handle rodent control.