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

The rodent rules sit in Roseville's property maintenance chapter, section 906.05. Subsection (b)(5) requires all structures and exterior property to be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. When rodents are found, they must be promptly eliminated by approved processes which will not be injurious to human health, and after pest elimination proper precautions must be taken to eliminate rodent harborage and prevent re-infestation. Chapter 906 defines pest elimination as the control and elimination of insects, rodents or other pests by eliminating their harborage places, by removing or making inaccessible materials that serve as their food or water, and by other approved pest elimination methods.

The building envelope carries its own rodent-proofing duties. Foundation walls must be maintained plumb and free from open cracks and breaks and kept in a condition that prevents the entry of rodents and other pests (section 906.05(d)(6)). Every basement hatchway must be maintained to prevent the entrance of rodents, rain and surface drainage water, and every openable basement window must have rodent shields, storm windows or other approved protection against the entry of rodents (section 906.05(d)(17) and (18)). The nuisance code also lists backyard composting as a public nuisance when yard or kitchen waste left unattended causes offensive odors, attracts rodents or pests, or is unsightly, or does not meet the requirements of chapter 406 (section 405.02(1)).

Section 906.05(k) assigns responsibility. The owner must handle pest elimination within a structure before renting or leasing it. The occupant of a one-family dwelling or single-tenant nonresidential structure is responsible for pest elimination on the premises. In a structure with two or more dwelling units, the owner is responsible for extermination in the public or shared areas of the structure and the exterior property, unless an occupant caused the infestation in the area the occupant holds. Occupants must keep the structure rodent and pest-free, except that when defects in the structure cause the infestation, the owner is responsible.