Port St. Lucie, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Baseline duty
- Every structure kept pest-free
- Landlord duty
- Exterminate before renting or leasing
- Multi-unit owner duty
- Shared and common areas
- Exterior duty
- Rodent harborage on exterior property
- Method standard
- Approved processes, not injurious to health
Summary
Port St. Lucie's Property Maintenance Code makes rodent and insect control a standing duty. Section 41.14 requires every structure to stay free of infestation, with prompt extermination by approved, non-injurious methods whenever pests are found, and § 41.08(c) extends the same duty to exterior property and rodent harborage.
Infestation. All structures shall be kept free from insect and rodent infestation. All structures in which insects or rodents are found shall be promptly exterminated by approved processes that will not be injurious to human health. After extermination, proper precautions shall be taken to prevent reinfestation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Responsibility for extermination shifts with occupancy type. 14(b)). 14(c)). 14(d)). 14(e)). 08(c) parallels this outdoors: exterior property must be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation, with prompt extermination and follow-up precautions against reinfestation when rodents turn up. 06 defines "extermination" as eliminating harborage places, removing or securing food sources, and using poison spraying, fumigation, trapping or other approved methods, and defines "vermin" as rats, mice or other rodents designated by the code official. 13, requiring approved covered containers and doors removed from discarded refrigerators, work alongside these sections to cut off rodent food and harborage sources.
Violations & Fines
Failing to exterminate after notice is a Property Maintenance Code violation like any other under §§ 41.03-41.04: the code official serves written notice describing the infestation and a compliance deadline, and unresolved cases are prosecuted under Florida Statutes Chapter 162 and City Code Chapters 37 and 40, with each day counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to pay for pest control in a Port St. Lucie rental?
Is a single-family homeowner responsible for their own pest problem?
Does the rodent rule cover yards, not just buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port St. Lucie
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Port St. Lucie to another location·View the Florida public health rules overview
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