Riverside, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty trigger
- As soon as infestation is discovered
- Inspection hours
- 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. for dwellings
- Abatement deadline
- 10 days after notice to begin
- Appeal window
- 10 days to appeal to City Council
- Cost threshold
- City bills owner if over $15
- Lien trigger
- 45 days unpaid after billing
- Interference penalty
- Misdemeanor under Section 6.22.150
Summary
Riverside property owners must exterminate rodent infestations the moment they discover them under RMC Chapter 6.22. The City inspects suspect properties, can issue a ten-day notice to abate through the Code Enforcement Division, and if the owner ignores it, the City does the extermination itself and bills the cost as a lien.
Every person possessing any place that is infested with rodents, as soon as their presence comes to his knowledge, shall at once proceed and continue in good faith to endeavor to exterminate and destroy the rodents, by poisoning, trapping, and in other appropriate means. ... The notice shall direct that the owner shall, within a period of ten days, commence to proceed and to continue to endeavor to exterminate and destroy the rodents, as required in this chapter. ... In the event the owner or person in charge or possession of the property affected by such notice, fails, neglects or refuses to proceed and to continue to endeavor to exterminate and destroy the rodents, within the time specified in Section 6.22.060, the City shall at once cause the rodents to be exterminated and destroyed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
m. 040). 050); if no appeal is filed, the infestation is conclusively established. 130). 160 also lets the City order a building rodent-proofed, in whole or in part, when it constitutes a harborage.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 6.22 carries no dedicated fine for failing to exterminate; the City's remedy is to abate the infestation itself and recover costs as a property lien under Section 6.22.080. Separately, obstructing, hindering, or interfering with a City officer entering a property or performing abatement work under this chapter is a misdemeanor under Section 6.22.150, and unpaid lien assessments are collected the same way as delinquent municipal taxes, subject to the same foreclosure and sale procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces Riverside's rodent control ordinance?
What happens if I don't exterminate rodents after getting a notice?
Can I appeal a rodent infestation notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside to another location·View the California public health rules overview
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle rodent control.