Providence property owners must keep premises rat-free and remove harborage; the city's Healthy Communities Office and Department of Inspection and Standards investigate complaints and order abatement under Chapter 15 (Health) of the Code.
Providence treats rodent infestation as a public-health nuisance under Code Chapter 15. Owners and occupants must store trash in covered containers, eliminate standing food waste, seal exterior holes greater than a half-inch, and remove harborage (overgrown vegetation, junk piles, abandoned vehicles). Complaints filed with PVD311 trigger inspection by the Department of Inspection and Standards. Inspectors may issue an abatement order requiring licensed pest-control treatment within a set timeframe (often 7-14 days). Demolition and construction sites require a written rodent-control plan before permits are issued in baited zones.
Failure to abate after notice can result in daily fines and the city contracting abatement at the owner's expense plus liens.
See how Providence's rodent control rules stack up against other locations.
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