San Rafael, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SRMC § 9.12.030
- Cure period
- 10 days after written notice
- Enforcement
- City abatement + property lien
- Applies to
- Any lot inside San Rafael city limits
Summary
San Rafael Municipal Code bars property owners from letting debris, trash or abandoned material sit on their lot in a way that attracts or breeds rodents, rats or mice.
No owner, agent, lessee or other person having charge or control of any lot within the City of San Rafael shall suffer, allow or permit ... any debris, wreckage or other waste, decayed, dilapidated or discarded or abandoned material or other substance ... likely to attract or to become a gathering or breeding place for rodents, rats or mice or likely to cause or induce the spread of fire or which is likely to become a menace or injurious to public health.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).
Full Breakdown
Under SRMC §9.12.030, any owner, agent, lessee or other person in charge of a lot within the City of San Rafael violates the code by allowing debris, wreckage or abandoned material that is 'likely to attract or to become a gathering or breeding place for rodents, rats or mice' to remain on the property. Enforcement runs through §9.12.050: the superintendent of streets serves written notice describing the required cleanup, and if the owner doesn't comply within ten days, the city performs the work itself and charges the cost as a lien against the property. This applies inside San Rafael city limits, not unincorporated Marin County.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear rodent-attracting debris, wreckage or abandoned material within ten days of the city's written notice lets the superintendent of streets do the cleanup and record the cost as a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply outside San Rafael city limits?
What happens if I don't clean up rodent-attracting debris?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Rafael
California rules heatmap·Compare San Rafael to another location·View the California public health rules overview
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