Portland, ME Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- City health authority
- Owner duty
- Keep building/lot free of harborage debris
- Pest operator registration
- Annually, by June 1
- Notice appeal window
- 2 business days to city clerk
- Default fine range
- $100–$500 per offense (Sec. 1-15)
- Toxic-chemical use
- Requires health authority permit
Summary
Portland's health authority enforces a citywide duty on every property owner to keep buildings and lots free of rodent harborage. Two-family-plus, single-family, commercial and vacant-lot owners must clear accumulated garbage, rubbish, old lumber and debris, and licensed pest control operators must register annually with the health authority.
(a) The owner of a two (2) or more family residential building and the owner or occupant of a single family residential building shall maintain the building and the lot on which the building is located free from any accumulation of any putrid substance, garbage, rubbish, old lumber, debris or rubble, except in watertight covered containers. (b) The owner of any vacant lot and the owner or occupant of a commercial building shall maintain the vacant lot and the building and lot on which it is located free from any accumulation of any putrid substance, garbage, rubbish, old lumber, debris or rubble, except in watertight covered containers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances, Rodent and Vermin Control, puts the duty to prevent rodent harborage directly on property owners and occupants, not just on the city. Under Sec. 22-3, the owner of a two-or-more-family residential building and the owner or occupant of a single-family building must keep the building and lot free of any accumulation of putrid substance, garbage, rubbish, old lumber, debris or rubble except in watertight covered containers; the same duty falls on the owner of any vacant lot and on the owner or occupant of a commercial building.
The health authority (Sec. 22-2) is empowered to write and enforce rules carrying out the chapter, and under Sec. mail. If infestation rises to an actual or potential health hazard, Sec. 22-10 lets the health authority declare the premises unfit for occupancy until the vermin or rodents are eradicated. Separately, Sec. 22-17 requires anyone in the business of pest control in the city to register with the health authority before starting work and then annually by June 1, and Sec. 22-18 bars an owner from letting an unregistered person work on the premises for disinfestation.
Sec. 22-19 requires a special health-authority permit before using highly toxic chemicals, poisonous gas, cyanide or sodium fluoroacetate (1080) for rodent or vermin control, with both the police and fire departments notified when such a permit issues.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 22-20 makes any violation of the chapter, or of a health authority regulation or order under it, an offense; obstructing or interfering with enforcement of an order is also covered. Because Chapter 22 sets no specific fine, the citywide penalty in Sec. 1-15 applies: $100 to $500 per offense, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. A person aggrieved by a health authority order may appeal to the city clerk's office within two business days (Sec. 22-21), and the city council can reverse the order by a two-thirds vote where enforcement would cause undue hardship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to keep a Portland property free of rodents?
What happens if the health authority finds a rodent problem?
Do pest control companies need a city registration?
Can I appeal a rodent-control notice from the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Maine public health rules overview
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