Safety Harbor, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Core duty
- Keep property free of rodent harborage
- Responsible party
- Person in control of the property
- Remediation
- Prompt extermination, approved methods
- Max civil penalty
- $500.00 per violation
- Related rule
- 5-day limit on harborage debris
Summary
Every building, lot, and premises in Safety Harbor must stay free of rodent and insect harborage, with prompt extermination required whenever an infestation is found.
Rodent and insect harborage and infestation. All buildings, lots, and premises shall be kept free of rodent/insect harborage and infestation. The person in control shall not allow the accumulation of water, refuse, garbage, or other harborage. Where rodent or insect infestations are found, they shall be promptly exterminated or removed by approved processes which will not be injurious to human health. After extermination, proper precautions shall be taken to eliminate rodent or insect harborage and prevent re-infestation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 5.26(6) of the city's Code of Ordinances, all buildings, lots, and premises must be kept free of rodent and insect harborage and infestation, and the person in control of the property may not let water, refuse, or garbage accumulate in ways that create harborage. Once an infestation turns up, it must be promptly exterminated by an approved process that won't injure human health, with precautions taken afterward to stop reinfestation. A companion rule, Sec. 5.26(1), separately bars letting rubbish or debris create harborage for rats, mice, and other vermin in a front yard, open carport, or open area for more than five days.
Violations & Fines
Code inspectors issue civil citations under Sec. 2.10.12, carrying a civil penalty up to $500.00; each day a rodent-harborage violation continues is a separate infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to exterminate rodents on a property in Safety Harbor?
What happens if a rodent-harborage violation isn't fixed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Safety Harbor
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Safety Harbor to another location·View the Florida public health rules overview
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Rodent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle rodent control.