Taylor, MI Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Taylor City Code § 20-1, in Chapter 20's Article I general provisions, requires that all structures and exterior property be kept free from rodent harborage and infestation. Where rodents are found, the section requires prompt extermination by approved processes that are not injurious to human health, and after extermination it requires proper precautions to eliminate harborage and prevent reinfestation. The section traces to Code 1987, § 15-33 and was carried forward by Ordinance No. 06-415, § 8 in 2006 and Ordinance No. 09-438 in 2009, and it sits alongside Chapter 20's broader environmental framework, which the city ties to the state's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act and Public Health Code by cross-reference.

Because the section applies to "all structures and exterior property," it reaches both occupied buildings and vacant lots, placing the maintenance duty on whoever controls the property rather than singling out landlords or tenants. Enforcement runs through the city's code enforcement function alongside the Building and Safety Department's broader property-maintenance authority under Chapter 8, and a rodent-harborage citation can accompany other property-maintenance violations found during a routine or complaint-based inspection.