Rochester, MN Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 7-4-13 of the Rochester Code of Ordinances directs that structures and exterior property be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Where rodents are found, the code requires they be promptly exterminated by approved processes that will not be injurious to human health, and after elimination the property must be prepped with proper precautions to prevent re-infestation. Sec. 7-4-61 repeats the same command for insects, requiring structures with insect or rodent infestation to be promptly exterminated by approved, non-hazardous methods. Responsibility for pest elimination is then split by property type.

Sec. 7-4-62 puts the burden on the owner to eliminate pests within a structure before renting or leasing it, so a landlord cannot hand over an already-infested unit. Sec. 7-4-63 makes the occupant of a one-family dwelling or single-tenant nonresidential building responsible for pest elimination on the premises once they are in possession. In buildings with two or more dwelling units, a rooming house, or a nonresidential structure, Sec. 7-4-64 puts the owner on the hook for pest elimination in public and shared areas; if an occupant's own failure to prevent infestation causes a problem in the space they occupy, the occupant and owner share responsibility.

Sec. 7-4-65 makes the occupant responsible for keeping their space rodent- and pest-free going forward, except that the owner remains responsible whenever the infestation traces back to a defect in the structure itself, such as a gap letting rodents inside. Because this sits within Title 7's General Requirements chapter, a violation is enforced the same way as any other housing code violation: the code official serves a notice of violation under Sec. 7-3-22.