Salinas, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Sanitation duty
- Keep premises clean, sanitary, rat-free
- Harborage ban
- No rubbish/waste/manure that feeds or shelters rats
- Enforcement tool
- Public nuisance declaration + health officer abatement
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail (Sec. 1-01.08)
- Inspection authority
- Health officer, Sec. 16-39
Summary
Salinas Municipal Code Sec. 16-44 requires every building and premises to be kept clean, sanitary and free from rats, and Sec. 16-46 bars leaving rubbish, waste or manure where it can feed or harbor rats. Sec. 16-45 declares any rat-infested building a public nuisance the health officer is authorized to abate.
All buildings, places and premises whatsoever in the city shall be placed, and shall continuously be kept by the owner, person in charge or the occupant thereof, in a clean and sanitary condition, and free from rats.
(Ord. No. 283 (NCS), Art. 13, § 1.)
* As to buildings generally, see Oh. 9 of this Code.
Sec. 16-45. - Rat infested buildings declared nuisance; abatement. All buildings, structures or any parts thereof that are infested with rats are hereby declared to be and are, public nuisances, and the health officer is hereby authorized and empowered to abate the same.
(Ord. No. 283 (NCS), Art. 13, § 2.)
Sec. 16-46. - Rubbish, etc., not to afford breeding, etc., place for rats.* No rubbish, waste or manure shall be placed, left, dumped or permitted to accumulate or remain in any building, place or premises in the city so that the same shall or may afford food or a harboring or breeding place for rats.
(Ord. No. 283 (NCS), Art. 13, § 3.)
* As to garbage, refuse and weeds, see Ch. 14 of this Code.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-44 places a continuing duty on the owner, person in charge, or occupant of every building, place and premises in the city to keep it clean and sanitary and free from rats. Sec. 16-46 supplements that duty on the source side: no rubbish, waste or manure may be placed, left, dumped or allowed to accumulate anywhere on a building, place or premises if it could provide food or a harboring or breeding place for rats, tying the rodent rule directly to the garbage and weed-abatement duties covered in Chapter 14 of the code.
Sec. 16-45 gives the health officer a direct enforcement tool: any building, structure or part of one found to be infested with rats is declared a public nuisance, and the health officer is authorized and empowered to abate it. As with the parallel pigeon-control provisions in the same article, that nuisance declaration lets the health officer act against the infestation condition itself, ordering cleanup or abatement of the harborage and food sources described in Sec. 16-46, rather than being limited to citing the owner and waiting for compliance.
Sec. 16-39 separately gives the health officer and deputies authority to inspect any building in the city for its sanitary condition to determine compliance with this article, and it is unlawful to obstruct that inspection, giving the city a direct inspection route to infestations that trigger Sec. 16-44 and 16-45.
Violations & Fines
There is no rat-specific fine schedule in Chapter 16; violations of Sec. 16-44's sanitation duty or Sec. 16-46's harborage ban fall under the citywide general penalty in Sec. 1-01.08, a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in county jail, or an infraction with a fine up to $500 at the prosecutor's discretion, with each continuing day a separate offense. A rat-infested building can also be abated directly as a nuisance under Sec. 16-45.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Salinas cite me for a rat problem on my property?
What kind of debris can trigger a rodent violation?
How does the city find out about a rat infestation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salinas
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