Mesa County, CO Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Under the Infestation and Rodent Harborage Code (Rule 2018-01-01), Section IV requires every dwelling, multiple dwelling, rooming house, or accessory structure and its included premises to be maintained in a condition that promotes a rodent- and insect-free, rodent- and insect-proof environment (Sec. 01). Occupants must actively eliminate conditions that lead to infestations, such as accumulated food, water, and harborage (Sec. 02), and are responsible for pest control on the premises, except that if the infestation is caused by the owner's failure to keep the structure itself rodent-proof or insect-proof, the pest control burden shifts to the owner (Sec.

03). Neither owner nor occupant may let rubbish, boxes, lumber, or scrap metal accumulate so that rodent harborage results (Sec. 04), or store or allow food sources for vermin to accumulate where pests can reach them (Sec. 05). Both owner and occupant must store and dispose of garbage and organic waste in a clean, sanitary manner so it cannot feed or shelter insects and rodents (Sec. 06). Section III defines infestation as the presence within or around a dwelling of insects, rodents, or other vermin, and rodentproofing as construction that closes every opening a rat or mouse could use to enter a building or reach food, water, or harborage.

This is a county public health rule, not the state building code, so it applies alongside any municipal housing code within Mesa County's public health jurisdiction. It gives renters a concrete standard for pest-related habitability complaints against a landlord who has let a structure fall out of rodent-proof condition.