Philadelphia Code §10-103 makes property owners and occupants responsible for keeping premises free of rats and conditions that harbor them. PDPH Vector Control investigates complaints, places municipal bait, and refers chronic cases to L&I for code enforcement orders.
Philadelphia Code §10-103 (Vector Control) requires every owner and occupant to eliminate rat harborage, food sources, and active infestations. PDPH Environmental Health Services Vector Control Program responds to 311 complaints, surveys blocks, places bait in public sewers and alleys, and educates owners. Chronic non-compliance is referred to L&I for code-enforcement violation notices under §10-105. Pennsylvania law restricts second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to certified applicators under 7 Pa. Code §128.4 and EPA rules; homeowners may use snap traps, exclusion, and first-generation baits. Phila. Code §10-722 requires trash to be stored in vermin-resistant containers, the most common upstream cause of citations.
Failure to comply with a Vector Control or L&I notice is a §10-105 violation, fines starting around $150 per day plus possible municipal lien for cleanup. Improper trash storage under §10-722 carries fines from $50 to $300 per occurrence.
Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health Office of Food Protection inspects every food facility annually under Phila. Code §6-300 and PA Food Code Chapte...
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia's refuse regulations under Chapter 10-700 require proper containment of trash. The city provides curbside collection for properties with 6 or fe...
See how Philadelphia's rodent control rules stack up against other locations.
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