Parma, OH Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances § 660.04(b)
- Related section
- § 1707.04(c), foundation rodent-proofing
- Offense level
- Misdemeanor of the first degree
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 under § 698.02
- Maximum jail term
- 180 days under § 698.02
- Continuing violation
- Separate offense each day it continues
Summary
Parma prohibits piling or accumulating junk, rubbish, garbage or manure on zoned property in a way that is likely to breed, harbor or attract rats, mice, vermin or other disease-carrying pests. Codified Ordinances Section 660.04(b) targets the accumulation itself, not just an active infestation, and the Property Maintenance Code adds a foundation-sealing duty.
No person shall pile, store, accumulate or permit to accumulate upon any real estate in the City which has been zoned or districted for single-family, two-family, apartment house, retail business or commercial uses, any junk, rubbish, garbage, manure or other material or substance detrimental to the public safety, health or general welfare, or of such a nature as to interfere with the value of real estate within the immediate vicinity, or the enjoyment thereof by the owners thereof, by reason of any noxious odors emanating therefrom, or which is of such a character or nature as to create or spread disease or cause an unsanitary or unhealthy condition, or which by its nature is likely to create conditions for the breeding, harborage and infestation of rats, mice, vermin or other disease-carrying pests and animals or insects.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
04(b) bars anyone from piling, storing or accumulating junk, rubbish, garbage, manure or other detrimental material on real estate zoned single-family, two-family, apartment, retail or commercial use where the material interferes with neighboring property values or, by its nature, is likely to create conditions for the breeding, harborage and infestation of rats, mice, vermin or other disease-carrying pests and animals or insects. The rule exempts ordinary household or business waste accumulation and property continuously used for agriculture. 04(a) separately bars maintaining any dwelling, structure or animal-keeping operation that produces noxious exhalations or offensive smells injurious to health or comfort, and bars letting offal, filth or noisome substances collect to the damage of others.
04(c) requires that all openings into a structure's foundation be protected against the entrance of rodents, so an unsealed foundation gap is itself a code violation independent of any nuisance-accumulation finding. Together the two chapters give code enforcement two separate hooks: the accumulation that attracts rodents, and the building defect that lets them in.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 660.04 is a first-degree misdemeanor under Section 698.02, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A separate offense is deemed committed each day the violation continues, so an unabated rodent-breeding accumulation can generate a new charge daily until it is cleared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Parma require an active rat infestation before it can cite my property?
Is ordinary household trash a violation under this section?
What does the Property Maintenance Code require to keep rodents out of a building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
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