Vestavia Hills, AL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 11-10 of the Vestavia Hills Code of Ordinances, the city's hazardous accumulations rule, requires every person owning premises or property in the city or its police jurisdiction to keep that property free from overgrown vegetation, rubbish, trash, tires, junk vehicles, flammable or toxic materials, pooled water and similar nuisances that create a hazardous condition or are favorable to harboring mosquitoes, insects or vermin. The section separately defines 'pooled water' as nonflowing standing water, including water sitting in containers, tires or ornamental fixtures, that is conducive to harboring mosquito larvae.

When a police official, fire official or other city agent finds a violation, section 11-10(5) requires written notice giving the owner ten days to abate it; if the condition is not fixed, section 11-10(6) requires a second notice ordering the owner to appear before the Vestavia Hills Municipal Court, at the Municipal Complex at 513 Montgomery Highway, to show cause why the condition should not be declared a violation. If the municipal judge orders abatement and the owner still fails within five days, section 11-10(10) lets the director of public works send city personnel or a contractor onto the property to correct it at the owner's expense, billed at actual cost plus 50 percent, with the charge becoming a lien on the property.