Rowan County, NC Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Sec. 7-256 puts responsibility for exterminating insects, rodents, and other pests on the occupant of a dwelling unit, but shifts that duty to the owner whenever the infestation is caused by the owner's failure to maintain the dwelling in a substantially rodent-proof or reasonably insect-proof condition. The same section requires garbage, rubbish, and materials to be recycled to be stored so they resist harborage to rodents and vectors and do not create a fire hazard. That duty connects to the structural standards in Sec. 7-252, which bars holes or cracks in walls, partitions, or structural members that might admit rodents, and Sec.

7-255, which requires exterior foundation walls, walls, and roofs, along with interior floors, walls, ceilings, windows, and doors, to be substantially rodent-proof and kept in sound condition. The housing inspector, appointed under Sec. 7-281, investigates dwelling conditions and enforces these standards, and a hearing and order process under Sec. 7-301 applies when a dwelling is found unfit because of infestation along with other defects. Sec. 7-332 makes any violation of the article a misdemeanor, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense, while Sec. 7-333 layers on civil citations starting with a warning and rising to $25, $50, and $100 fines for repeat violations of the same offense.