Schenectady, NY Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 208-2 sets the baseline duty: all buildings in the City of Schenectady shall be ratproofed, freed of rats and maintained in a ratproof and rat-free condition to the satisfaction of the Building Inspector. Enforcement runs through § 208-3: once the Building Inspector serves written notice or an order, the owner must take immediate ratproofing measures, with the code guaranteeing at least 15 days to finish the work, longer if the Building Inspector grants a written extension. An owner who misses that deadline is deemed guilty of an offense, and the Building Inspector can then order the building vacated and closed, posting a notice at every entrance until the rat condition is abated; removing that posted notice without written permission is itself unlawful.

If the owner still does not act, § 208-3C lets the Building Inspector have the work done and place the cost as a lien on the property, collected the same way as a tax lien. Sections 208-4 through 208-8 add ongoing duties: owners of already-ratproofed buildings must repair breaks and leaks without waiting for an order, occupants notified of active rat infestation get five days to start eradication before it becomes a violation, and the Health Officer can pursue condemnation of an unoccupied building after 60 days of uncorrected rat harborage.

Sections 208-13 through 208-16 target the conditions that attract rats in the first place, requiring animal feed, garbage and stored lumber, barrels or containers to be kept in rat-free, ratproof containers or elevated at least 18 inches off the ground. Under § 208-17, every notice of violation carries a $50 administrative fee that is charged against the property as a municipal lien or added to the tax roll if unpaid.