Union, NY Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Pest standard
- Free of insects, vermin and rodent harborage and infestation
- Who must comply
- The owner of a vacant building
- Registration deadline
- 60 days after vacancy, or 45 days after notice
- Registration fee
- $50, plus $500 annually in some cases
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine or six months, or both, per day
- Registration office
- Code Enforcement Office, 3111 E. Main Street, Endwell
Summary
In the Town of Union outside the Villages of Endicott and Johnson City, the owner of a vacant building must keep the premises free of insects and vermin, treat them when needed, and keep buildings and structures free of rodent harborage and infestation. Section 158-4 sets those duties, and § 158-8 backs them with fines up to $1,000.
B. The owner will protect and maintain the exterior of the building as follows: ... (9) The premises will be kept free of insects and vermin, and will be treated if necessary. ... E. The owner will maintain the premises as follows: (1) The owner will not permit garbage and refuse to accumulate. (2) Buildings and structures will be maintained free of insects, vermin and rodent harborage and infestation.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 158, the Vacant Building Registry (L.L. No. 4-2020, adopted 2-19-2020), puts the rodent duty on the owner of a "vacant building." That term covers a building that is unoccupied and/or unsecured, secured by other than normal means, unsafe, under a Code Enforcement Officer order to correct violations, illegally occupied, without utility services, or unoccupied for more than six months. The owner registers with the Code Enforcement Office no later than 60 days after the building becomes vacant, or 45 days after notice from the Code Enforcement Officer, and pays a $50 registration fee.
Three clauses in § 158-4 reach pests. Subsection B(9) says the premises will be kept free of insects and vermin and will be treated if necessary. Subsection E(2) says buildings and structures will be maintained free of insects, vermin and rodent harborage and infestation, and E(1) bars letting garbage and refuse accumulate, which removes the food source. Subsection E(13) adds that lawns, yards and vacant lots be clean and free of physical hazards, rodent harborage and infestation.
If an owner ignores a Code Enforcement Officer notice, § 158-4(F) lets the Town enter, make the building and yard safe and bill the owner. An unpaid bill can be filed as a lien and assessed on the real property tax bills, and the owner also pays attorneys' fees, court costs and expert fees if the Town starts enforcement. Registering consents to inspection, and the owner must give access to all interior portions on request.
Chapter 155 covers other commercial and residential property with the same pest vocabulary. It defines "extermination" as controlling and eliminating insects, rodents and vermin by removing harborage places, removing or making inaccessible material that serves as food, or poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping or any other approved means. "Infestation" is the presence of insects, rodents or other pests on or within a premises, and residential rules list sources of infestation as a hazard in § 155-15(C)(3).
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Chapter 158, including failure to register, carries a fine of $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both, and each day of violation is a separate offense. Fines are civil forfeitures to the Town, and the Town can also seek an injunction from the New York State Supreme Court. A residential violation under Chapter 155, Article III is punishable by a fine not exceeding $250 for each day and/or up to 10 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for rodent control at a vacant building?
Does the grass height rule connect to rodents?
What does extermination include under the property maintenance chapter?
Where does a vacant building owner register and pay fees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union
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